“Josh Recommends” for the Week of September 22, 2018 By Josh Garrick 

CONGRATULATIONS to “TASTE! -- CENTRAL FLORIDA” 
On Saturday, September 8 a lot of wonderfully generous people came together in a local event, featuring local chefs and beverage vendors for a most necessary local cause. IT’S HARD TO BELIEVE that one in five children goes to bed HUNGRY in Central Florida, but “Taste! Central Florida” is the annual celebration of FOOD that comes together to raise funds for childhood hunger relief, and it was just announced that over $250,000 was raised on September 8 with 100% of the proceeds going directly to Second Harvest Food Bank and Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida. THANK YOU to everyone who bought a ticket. YOU MADE A DIFFERENCE!!! 

FINAL WEEK – Gypsy’s Mama Rose ‘Sings Out’ in Winter Garden 
NOW to September 23
One of the great American musicals – Gypsy – opened the Fall season in Winter Garden, and this story of the world’s most overbearing stage mother is so brilliant, I thought I was in a Broadway theater – THAT is how great the production is! We should be able to nominate Andrea Canny for a Tony Award – THAT is how great she is. The presence of Mama Rose fills the stage and then sings with the voice of an angel. Already the “must-see” performance of the season, the score includes “Let Me Entertain You” and “Everything’s Coming Up Roses.” The production includes some of the greatest talent in Central Florida including direction by Tom Vazzana, Andrea Canny as Mama Rose, Andrea Stack as Louise, and Arcadian Broad as Tulsa. Call 407.877.4736 X 0 or visit gardentheatre.org – TODAY! 

FINAL WEEK – “Shrek the Musical! at Breakthrough Theatre 
NOW to Sept 24 
Tristan Bishop has been singing on-stage since age 3 and has shared the stage with legends including Ray Charles, James Brown, the Temptations, LL Cool J, and more. Most recently seen as Daddy Warbucks in “Annie” at the Dr. Phillips Center, Tristan's first production with the Breakthrough Theatre of Winter Park is the lead in “Shrek the Musical.” The lovable ogre may be seen through Sept 24 at Breakthrough, but please remember the theater is small and tickets are going fast. Visit breakthroughtheatre.com or make reservations at 407.920.4034. 

The Sanford Seminole Art Association's "A Splash of Color” 
NOW to Sept 27 
With a “something for everyone” point of view presenting art forms from traditional still-lifes and landscapes to contemporary abstract works the Sanford Seminole Art Association's fall art exhibit, titled "A Splash of Color," is at the Casselberry Art House through September 27. Featuring both 2-D and 3-D art by the association's members, admission is free. Call 407.951.5607
 
"Tiger Swallowtail" oil painting by Jill Cross

“A Year with Frog and Toad”
NOW to Sept 30 
The All-Family shows at the Orlando Repertory may be for children, but each one has a “life message” to share on all age levels. Celebrating the value of friendship, this Tony Award-nominated musical follows Frog and Toad through a year of fun-filled seasons. Based on the books by Arnold Lobel, this joyful musical celebrates diversity and the power of friendship. With catchy songs and larger-than-life characters, this show is perfect for the whole family. Plus – this season – you can talk with your little ones about the colorful and imaginative renovation to the Theater’s lobby that was finished over the summer. Call 407 896 7365 or visit orlandorep.com 

“In the Heights” at Orlando Shakespeare Theater
NOW to Oct 7
For the past several years, Orlando Shakes’ has begun each season with a big – and brilliantly produced – musical. This year the musical 'In the Heights' tells the story of New York’s vibrant Washington Heights neighborhood – a place where the windows are always open carrying the rhythm of three generations of music. It’s a community full of hopes and dreams that led to 'In the Heights' winning the 2008 Tony Awards for Best Musical, Best Score, Best Choreography, and Best Orchestrations. For tickets and more about 'In the Heights', please visit orlandoshakes.org 

“Noises Off” by CFCArts Theatre
NOW to Oct 7 
This frantically funny farce by Michael Frayn shows us a “play within a play” so that we – the audience – get a crazy backstage view of the chaos that ensues as the “show MUST go on.” Our hopes dim as the production deteriorates into comic disarray involving “actors” carrying on rocky love interests, doors that don’t work, incompetent performers, and a pregnant stage manager. Come and see what lunacy can happen when you take a show on-tour and what it takes to keep a cast on the stage – when they’re supposed to be – on-stage. Visit CFCArts.com or call 407 937 1800 

Jan Kalab – “Soul of Graffiti” 
NOW to December 2 
Prague artist Jan Kaláb is known internationally for his innovative 3-D graffiti. Born in 1978 at a time when graffiti was a form of protest in Eastern Europe, he made a name for himself in the 1990s as the country opened to Western influences. Kaláb became known as “Cakes” and took his art to New York in 2000, painting train cars with other artists. His Polasek Museum exhibit includes sculptures, paintings, and a new installation. “Kaláb’s style is diametrically opposite to the classic sculptures of museum founder Albin Polasek,” said Polasek Curator Rachel Frisby. “This exhibit demonstrates just how far art has evolved in the Czech Republic from Polasek’s time to the present day.” Call 407.647.6294 or visit Polasek.org 

“Dangerous Women” -- Selections from the Ringling Museum of Art
NOW to Dec 12 
Women of the Bible went from paragons of virtue to deadly temptresses. These women – from Judith and Esther to Salome and Mary Magdalene – shaped biblical history, often depicted by Renaissance and Baroque artists as an excuse for presenting sensuous female nudes. Other times, however, they were portrayed for the moral messages conveyed by their stories. The exhibition “Dangerous Women” at the Cornell Museum at Rollins College presents more than twenty works from the Ringling Museum of Art which explore different artists' responses to these women. The exhibit is made even more important as the paintings are accompanied by Old Master prints and concludes with the modern Salome of Robert Henri. A lecture series accompanies the exhibit. Call 407.646.2526 or visit rollins.edu 

“Haunted Tours” of Maitland Art Center
Oct 5 and Oct 28 beginning at 6 pm with final tours at 9 pm 
Visit A&H’s Maitland Art Center campus for “Artistic” ghost stories and a guided tour around “one of the most haunted spots in Florida.” On the tour, you’ll hear the history of the facility built by Artist J. André Smith from 1937 to 1959. The high walls of the center were created to keep curious minds from encroaching on Smith’s territory during his life, and the A&H staff still feels the presence of André 58 years later, letting it be known when he is not happy. Tours begin every 30 minutes for a 45 min tour; limited to 10 guests per tour. Advance tickets: $10 member, $15 general. Visit artandhistory.org 

The Orlando Ballet’s “Carmina Burana” at the Dr. Phillips Center 
Oct 12, 13, and 14 
In celebration of Artistic Director Robert Hill’s 10th anniversary with the company, the Orlando Ballet will open its 45th season with “Carmina Burana,” in collaboration with the Bach Festival Society. The Orlando Ballet premiered “Carmina Burana” in 2013 in a performance that concluded the grand opening of the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts. Brought back to celebrate Hill’s decade as Artistic Director, the Ballet will join with Winter Park’s Bach Festival to produce a unique collaboration. The Bach Festival will provide live accompaniment and vocals to “Carmina Burana” during each performance. Tickets start at just $19! Visit drphillipscenter.org or call 844.513.2014. 

 
Take Cover !! – “The (Hitchcockian) Birds” ARE BACK !!
Oct 12 to 28 
“The Birds” is a gripping and unsettling look at humans in the face of societal collapse. Conor McPherson’s stage adaptation of “The Birds” – based on Daphne du Maurier’s short story (the same source material as Hitchcock’s thriller), follows the lives of two strangers taking refuge from the attacking birds in their lakeside town. Set in an isolated house, strangers Diane and Nat must learn to live together as they hide from the attacking birds, but tensions mount when another survivor enters the home and disrupts their already strained relationship. At the Garden Theatre in Winter Garden, for tickets call 407.877.4736 x0 or visit gardentheatre.org. 

Josh Garrick is the Florida Arts Editor for Wandering Educators