Florida Culture for the Week of March 10, 2018 By Josh Garrick 

TODAY – March 10 at 2 pm & 8 pm at the Bob Carr Theater
Orlando Philharmonic Presents “My Sinatra” Starring Cary Hoffman
Singing sensation Cary Hoffman turns his celebrated PBS Special into a biographical, often funny, often poignant one-man musical about his hero Frank Sinatra. In two performances, Hoffman joins the Orlando Philharmonic with the show the New York Times called a "Dead-On re-creation of the Sinatra experience.” The show presents over 20 classic Sinatra songs in this musical that honors a performer whose talent changed the lives of generations of Americans. Call 407.770.0071 or visit Orlandophil.org 

TODAY – March 10 at 8 pm 
Dr. Phillips Center presents Andy McKee
Self-described as "just this guy from Topeka, Kansas, who kind of blew up on the Internet,” for a time three of Andy McKee's videos garnered over 100 million views on YouTube. Called a “finger-style” guitarist, Andy McKee is among the world’s great acoustic guitarists with his youthful energy and attention to melody elevating him above the rest. He entertains both the eye and the ear as he transforms his steel string guitar into a full orchestra via his use of altered tunings, tapping, partial capos, percussive hits and his signature two-handed technique. Call 844.513.2014 or visit drphillipscenter.org 

Central Florida Watercolor Society Annual Member Show on Display 
March 12 to June 15
A presentation of 35 paintings, selected from 85 submissions, will be exhibited as the Central Florida Watercolor Society presents its annual exhibition with opportunities for the public to view (and purchase) works by the finest Central Florida Watercolor Artists. The new works may be viewed at Leu Gardens during the Gardens’ regular operating hours; admission to Leu Gardens is NOT required to view the show, and there is Free parking on-site. The public is invited to attend the FREE Opening Reception on March 14 beginning at 6 pm at which “juried awards” will be presented. Leu Gardens is at 1920 North Forest Ave in Orlando. Visit centralfloridawatercolor.org

An Evening with Jason Mraz at the Dr. Phillips Center 
March 13 at 7:30 pm
Jason Mraz has amassed a diverse fan base throughout all parts of the globe. Since his humble start in coffeehouses in San Diego, Mraz has brought his positive message to the world through numerous platinum releases including Grammy Awards for his record-breaking classic single, “I’m Yours” and “I Won’t Give Up.” He won the Songwriter Hall of Fame Hal David Award, but through it all Mraz is first and foremost a committed global citizen. His social activism and philanthropic efforts span from environmental advocacy to his ardent support for human rights. As his Jason Mraz Foundation serves arts education and the advancement of equality, Jason Mraz sings and celebrates music’s miraculous power to inspire. Call 844.513.2014 or visit drphillipscenter.org 

Dr. Phillips Center presents ANITA BAKER in Her Farewell Tour 
March 16 at 8 pm at the Bob Carr Theater
After headlining the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival this April, Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter Anita Baker will retire from her legendary singing career. After three decades of sharing the voice that has remained a significant influence in contemporary soul music, Ms. Baker will bring her tour to Orlando. The tour acknowledges the deep gratitude she feels for the fan base that propelled her to 8 Grammy Awards, 7 albums (including 6 platinum), four No. 1 Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums, and 6 world tours. Including her ‘Millennial fans,’ who have viewed her videos on YouTube more than 20 million times, it’s time for Orlando to welcome Anita Baker back to the Bob Carr Theater so we can “give her the best that we got” … one last time. Call 844.513.2014 or visit drphillipscenter.org 

Joe Rogan’s “Strange Times Tour”
March 17 at 8 pm and 10:30 pm at the Bob Carr Theater
So popular that a second performance has been added to his stop in Orlando, TV host, martial artist, and feisty stand-up comedian Joe Rogan sells out theaters internationally with his “intense comedic style.” In addition to two decades of comedy specials, Rogan is host of “The Joe Rogan Experience” on iTunes while his Syfy series, “Joe Rogan Questions Everything” recently premiered with 1.3 million viewers. In addition, his over-achieving career is mixed with movie roles, while serving as the host of “Fear Factor” on NBC for over a decade. For tickets, call 844.513.2014 or visit drphillipscenter.org

Orlando Ballet presents Arcadian Broad’s ‘Beauty & the Beast Family Weekend’
March 17 & 18 at the Dr. Phillips Center 
The youthful genius of Arcadian Broad brings us his original music and choreography for Beauty & the Beast, the much-loved fairytale with Belle, Mrs. Potts, Lumiere and a host of enchanted characters. The perfect introduction to the magic of ballet for fans of all ages, this weekend is created as a ‘day with the family’ with (very) affordable ticket packages starting at $15 and a Family 4-Pack for $40. Call 844.513.2014 or visit drphillipscenter.org 

Richard Marx at The Plaza Live 
March 18 at 8 pm 
As a performer, songwriter and producer, Richard Marx’s three-decades-long career has seen the Chicago native sell more than 30 million albums world-wide. His self-titled debut led to four Top 5 singles including “Hold on to the Nights,” which earned him a Grammy nomination for Best Male Rock Vocal. As a songwriter and producer, Marx has an amazing fourteen number 1 singles including a number one hit in each of the past four decades. Marx describes “Beautiful Goodbye,” his new album, as “sensual, ethereal, and adventurous.” Many of those new songs will be part of his Orlando appearance at The Plaza Live in East Orlando. Tickets from $39 to $250 are available at www.ticketfly.com

FAIRWINDS Broadway in Orlando presents Waitress
March 20 to 25 at the Dr. Phillips Center 
When it opened on Broadway, Entertainment Weekly called Waitress “a little slice of heaven!" Waitress tells the story of Jenna, waitress and pie maker, who dreams of a way out of her small town and loveless marriage. A baking contest and the town's new doctor may offer her the chance she’s been dreaming of, but Jenna must find the courage to build that new life. This fairy-tale musical features original music and lyrics by 5-time Grammy nominee Sara Bareilles (and a lot of pies) Call 844.513.2014 or visit drphillipscenter.org 

Opera Orlando presents Rossini's ‘Cinderella’
March 21 to 25 at the Dr. Phillips Center
Good news! The OperaOrlando season concludes with a happy ending via Gioachino Rossini’s Cinderella. First performed in 1817 when Rossini was 25 years old, it followed the success of his Barber of Seville just one year earlier. Completed in just three weeks, the opera is among Rossini’s finest work. Eric Jacobsen of the Orlando Philharmonic makes his OperaOrlando conducting debut as the delightful Amanda Crider finds everlasting love in the title role of this ‘fantasy’ production. The opera will be sung in Italian with English supertitles. Call 844.513.2014 or visit drphillipscenter.org 

Mad Cow Theatre presents the American Classic “A View from the Bridge”
March 23 to April 22 
Mad Cow Theatre returns to its roots with the classic Arthur Miller American Theater drama – “A View from the Bridge.” An American tragedy, “A View from the Bridge” is Italian in heritage and classically Greek in scale. A working-class couple watches over their niece’s coming of age, while the arrival of immigrant cousins brings about a clash of cultures with the resulting friction between the “Old World” and the “New” turning violent. First staged in 1955, shortly after Arthur Millers’ public defiance of McCarthyism, the play explores differing views of the ‘American Dream,’ while serving as a time capsule for the socio-cultural climate of America today. Visit madcowtheatre.com or call 407-297-8788 x1.

and on-going … 

“Silent Sky” at the Mad Cow Theatre 
FINAL WEEK -- NOW to March 18
Mad Cow Theatre has a ‘knack’ for presenting works that are amazingly timely and entertaining. Based on the life of astronomer Henrietta Swan Leavitt, Silent Sky is a perfect example. As the century turns from the 19th to the 20th the theme of the play echoes the gender gaps of today. The play begins when Ms. Leavitt is offered a job at the Harvard Observatory in America 1900. Torn between leaving her sister and pressing on into a future that would include women in jobs related to science and technology, she finds herself analyzing data and other ‘grunt work’ assigned by her male superiors. As she longs to work directly with the telescope, the play follows Henrietta’s journey into her epic scientific discoveries. Call 407.297.8788 x1 or visit madcowtheatre.com 

“Twelfth Night” (by Wm. Shakespeare) and “Shakespeare in Love” in Repertory
NOW to March 25
Many Shakespeare companies CLAIM they are producing a play the way W.S. did back in 1600, but we can be proud to say our renowned (Orlando) Shakespeare company is performing “Twelfth Night” in repertory with "Shakespeare in Love,” in a fully-realized Elizabethan production with clothing, scenery, music and dance created (as it was in 1602) and performed by an ALL-MALE cast (as it was in 1602). Young ‘Will’ was just another ‘scribbler’ eking out a meager living for the plays he wrote before “Romeo & Juliet.” This back-story is brilliantly introduced in “Shakespeare in Love,” the very funny LIVE stage play drawn from the 1998 Best Picture Academy Award winning movie. If possible, please see BOTH plays, and see “Shakespeare in Love” first as that play shows how “Romeo & Juliet” and “Twelfth Night” were conceived. Performed in repertory (as it was in 1602), the ALL-MALE cast for “Twelfth Night” includes an ensemble that literally leaps to perform two comedies (no questions like “to be or” not here). With both plays HIGHLY RECOMMENDED, call 407.447.1700 or visit orlandoshakes.org for tickets. 

Madagascar – A Musical Adventure for Young People 
NOW to April 8 
This is the perfect time to “Move it! Move it!” on down to Loch Haven Park, where the Orlando Rep is developing into one of our nation’s finest theaters for “young people of all ages.” Join Alex the Lion, Marty the Zebra, Melman the Giraffe, and Gloria the Hippo, four ‘pampered’ animals from New York’s Central Park Zoo, as they find themselves on the island of Madagascar. ‘Feeding time’ rolls round to help them remember “one of the good things they ran away from.” Throw in mischievous penguins, and you’re in for a roaring good time in this all-singing, all-dancing, all-ANIMAL musical-adventure based on the block-buster film. At the Orlando Rep at Loch Haven Park, for tickets, call 407.896.7365 or visit orlandorep.com. 

Josh Garrick is the Florida Arts Editor for Wandering Educators