Florida Culture for the Week of December 1 By Josh Garrick

Now through January 11 – A Waterhouse (Museum) Christmas Carol

Maitland celebrates the Holidays with the Victorian-era exhibit, A Waterhouse Christmas Carol, on display until January 11. Drawing from Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, the historic Waterhouse Residence (built in 1884) is decorated to showcase Christmas traditions of the past, present and future. Waterhouse is one of five museums that make up the Art & History Museums – Maitland. Both the A&H’s Maitland Art Center and Waterhouse Residence Museums were recently named National Historic Landmarks. Call 407.629.1532 or 407.539.2181 or visit ArtandHistory.org

Dec 3 to 28 – Get Your “Bah Humbug” at Orlando Shakes

Considering the phenomenal success of their full-length Nicholas Nickleby (last season), expectations for Orlando Shakes’ new production of A Christmas Carol are – magical. Written by Artistic Director Jim Helsinger, nine actors will bring Charles Dickens’ classic to life in a new production featuring the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge and visits from the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future. Call 407.447.1700 or visit orlandoshakes.org

Dec 4 – The 36th Magical Christmas in the Park

All the Holiday Season is packed into two hours beginning on December 4 at 6:15 pm in Winter Park’s Central Park. This highly-anticipated Free event, presented this year by the Morse Museum and the City of Winter Park, includes love, family, sharing, good cheer, Christmas music by the Bach Festival Choir, and the magical experience of lighting nine of the priceless Tiffany windows for which the Museum is renowned. Visit morsemuseum.org

The Bach Festival Choir, flanked by two Tiffany windows from the Morse Museum’s collection, performing Christmas in the Park

Dec 4 – AFFORDABLE ART at Orlando Museum of Art’s First Thursday

The Orlando Museum of Art’s First Thursdays are always fun, but my personal favorite is OMART’s December exhibit with the annual theme of AFFORDABLE ART.  It’s a much appreciated art-exhibit-and-party-as-promo to get us to consider GIVING original Art as a gift this Holiday Season.  On December 4 each piece of original Art, created by Central Florida Artists, is offered under $200. Join us as we support our local Artists (and find some serious Art bargains). Visit omart.org or call 407 896 4231 x260

Dec 4 to 15 – The Phantom ‘Haunts’ our NEW Perf Arts Center

Even without his usual “notes of a most amiable nature,” The Phantom of the Opera couldn’t wait to ‘haunt’ our NEW Performing Arts Center. Taking over the Center from December 4 to 15, the Phantom is up to his old tricks – threatening our chandeliers – in the touring production that Andrew Lloyd Weber called the best version yet. Read that as ‘spookiest ever’ as this most successful Musical in history arrives with new special effects that didn’t even exist when the Musical first opened in 1986. Visit Orlando.broadway.com/tickets or call 800.448.6322

Dec 5 to Jan 4 – James Joyce's The Dead at Mad Cow

Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol is a ghost story, so why not ‘celebrate’ the Holiday Season with James Joyce’s The Dead at Mad Cow Theatre from December 5 to January 4.  Joyce's story is about a set of sisters gathered with family and friends at a Christmas party in turn-of-the-century Ireland. The Tony-Award nominated score, dances and festivities are pure Irish, but the themes, of love, loss, joy, and fear are universal. Call 407.297.8788 or visit madcowtheatre.com

Dec 5 to 7 – Marvel Super Heroes Save the Amway Arena

OK, LISTEN UP -- The fate of the universe depends on Marvel fans coming together from December 5 to 7 at the Amway Arena for Marvel Universe LIVE!  In this brand-new live show Marvel Super Heroes, Spider-Man, the Avengers, Iron Man, Hulk, and more fight off the universe’s most dastardly villains. Hailed as the most technically advanced live show ever, the special effects, pyrotechnics, aerial stunts, martial arts, and motorcycles offer Marvel fans of all ages a ‘monumental’ performance. Visit MarvelUniverseLive.com

Dec 5 to 21 – Christmas by Committee – A Musical in Winter Garden

Christmas by Committee is an original, World-Premiere musical written and directed by Rob Winn Anderson for the Garden Theater in Winter Garden. With old-fashioned “Let’s put on a show” energy, Amy plans to pull the annual Village Christmas show out of its slump. With spunk and holiday cheer, Amy must convince the town’s surly ‘Christmas Committee’ that the show is about more than personal agendas. With song and dance, our Holiday Heroine comes to the rescue. Call 407.877.4736 or visit gardentheatre.org

Dec 6 to 28 – Dickens by Candlelight – with Tea and Cookies

Of the many ways to experience Dickens’ A Christmas Carol this season, the production Dickens by Candlelight brings us ‘into the action’ by seating us at tables where we are served tea and cookies as the three actors (who play all the parts) ‘act’ among us. The enormously talented John Didonna will play Scrooge (and other characters) from December 6 to 28 at the Shakespeare Theater – side-by-side with the production being offered by Orlando Shakes. That’s two different productions in the same theater complex, so please be sure of which tickets you order. Call 407.222.7669 or visit Dickensbycandlelight.com

Dec 6 -- MAKULU: A Contemporary African Ballet

In a fusion of traditional African dance with contemporary ballet and modern dance, the Center for Contemporary Dance presents MAKULU on December 6 at 7 pm. The story of a mother wildebeest’s journey to reunite with her herd, MAKULU celebrates the magic of love and family. This spirited performance for the entire family offers the joy and exuberance of African dance in performance at Trinity Prep in Winter Park. Call 407.695.8366 or visit thecenterfordance.org

Dec 7 and 16 – Cordone & Kilgore’s Holiday Tribute to Steve & Eydie

Singers Natalie Cordone and Shawn Kilgore present a loving Holiday Tribute to The King and Queen of the Nightclub World in a concert, complete with a live band. Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme performed together for 55 years winning Grammys and Emmys along the way. Honoring them in song, Cordone & Kilgore present Seasons Greetings: A Steve and Eydie Holiday Tribute on December 7 at Theatre Downtown in Orlando – Tix $20 at 407.841.0083 and December 16 at 5pm & 8 pm in The Villages- Tix $23 at thevillagesentertainment.com. Call 407.256.1437 or visit cordoneandkilgore.com

Dec 9 – Kenny G Live at Plaza Live

In a recording career spanning three decades and 23 albums, Grammy Award-winning saxophonist Kenny G has fused R&B, pop, and Latin with jazz in ways that have solidified his reputation among the premiere artists in contemporary jazz. Since the '80s, his instrumental chops and indelible melodies have resulted in sales of more than 75 million records worldwide and more than a dozen climbs to the top of Billboard's contemporary jazz chart. This jazz super-star brings his Holiday show to Plaza Live in Orlando on December 9 at 8 pm.  Call 407.228.1220 or visit plazaliveorlando.com

Dec 13 – Breakfast with Santa at the Zoo

They learn a whole new Gift for Sharing when Kids come away with a special love for animals after meeting Santa at the Central Florida Zoo on December 13. Whether it’s Breakfast at 9 am or Brunch at 11 am, kids may share their holiday wishes with Santa, enjoy up-close animal encounters, CREATE a special animal treat, and then watch as the Zoo-Keepers give the animals their special holiday gifts – hand-made by the children. For this special Christmas memory, call 407.323.4450 ext. 123 or visit centralfloridazoo.org

Dec 13 & 14 – Central Florida Ballet’s Nutcracker

Central Florida Ballet’s Nutcracker holds the title of “most entertaining Nutcracker” as featured in ABC Nightline News; named as “one of five outstanding productions in the entire nation” by CNN Headlines News; and – thanks to some on-stage fireworks, it was called “the pyrotechnic Nutcracker” by USA Today. This fusion of the Nutcracker – with a little bit of Cirque and those on-stage fireworks – makes this the FUN version of the Holiday Classic. In performance December 13 and 14 at the Orange County Convention Center, call 407.849.9948 or visit Central Florida Ballet.com

Dec 13 and 14 – Classic Christmas with the Bach Festival Choir & Orchestra

A Classic Christmas with the Bach Festival is a true Winter Park Holiday tradition. On December 13 and 14, their program will feature favorite Christmas works performed by the Bach Festival Choir, Youth Choir, and Orchestra in the beautiful Knowles Memorial Chapel on the campus of Rollins College. And this season, you can bring the Holiday spirit home with All is Bright: A Choral Christmas, the CD available for purchase on their website. Visit Bachfestivalflorida.org

Josh Garrick is the Florida Arts Editor for Wandering Educators