Florida Culture for the Week of May 21, 2017 By Josh Garrick 

TODAY – May 21 at 4 pm – “Baroque & Beyond” Concert 
Some of the world’s most beautiful music will be performed by Performing Arts of Maitland’s Baroque Chamber Orchestra at the Venue-On-The-Lake-Maitland Civic Center. Featuring Bach’s Organ Fugue in G minor, Vivaldi’s Concerto Ripieno, and Telemann’s Concerto Polonois, tickets are $10 at the door. Call 321-303-1404 or visit PAMaitland.org 

FINAL WEEK – through May 28 – “Into the Woods” at the Garden Theatre
Each year the Garden Theatre pulls together the community to present its annual musical, and this year features the mature/clever words and music of Stephen Sondheim. Story-book characters journey into those Grimm woods for adventures that won the 1988 Tony Awards for Best Book and Best Score of a Musical. Along the way, the musical makes you think twice about ‘getting what you wish for.’ Call 407.877.4736 or visit gardentheatre.org  

NOW to June 11 – ‘MURDER for Two’ – the Musical 
Everyone is a suspect in this hilarious ‘Musical-Murder-Mystery’ with a twist. One actor plays the investigator and the other plays 13 suspects while BOTH play the piano. With book, music and lyrics by Joe Kinosian and Kellen Blair, it would be a crime to miss this musically crazy blend of comedy and mad-cap mystery. At the Winter Park Playhouse, call 407.645.0145 or visit winterparkplayhouse.org 

May 23 at 6 pm – Disney Hosts ‘Prelude’ Fundraiser for Orlando Philharmonic 
‘Prelude to 25’ is a fundraiser presented by the Walt Disney World Resort with a goal to raise $100,000 to support the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra’s 25th Anniversary Season. Presenting over 125 performances each year, $78,000 has already been committed from sponsors and donors with the remainder to be realized through ticket sales and donations. Tickets are $100 per person. For YOUR tickets, call 407.896.6700 x224

May 25 at 10 am – Florida History Writer Joy Wallace Dickinson at Leu Gardens 
In a morning designed to be “informational and fun,” join “Florida Flashback” writer Joy Wallace Dickinson for a look at the folks who owned Leu Gardens over the years. Learn how the owners reflected Orlando’s history since the days of the ‘wild frontier,’ from the lady who has written hundreds of “Flashback” features in the Orlando Sentinel about Florida’s colorful history. Call 407.246.2620 or visit leugardens.org  

May 26 at 8 pm -- Gary Owen’s ‘Diverse’ Comedy at Plaza LIVE Orlando
Gary Owen is one of America’s most beloved comedians, having been proclaimed by Ebony Magazine as Black America’s “Favorite White Comedian.” Owen currently stars in the BET docu-series ‘The Gary Owen Show,’ which chronicles his inter-racial family life in small-town Ohio. His next comedy special, ‘I Got My Associates,’ is slated to air on Showtime in 2017. Earlier this year, he starred opposite Mike Epps and Mike Tyson in the comedy ‘Meet the Blacks.’ For tickets, visit plazaliveorlando.org/event/1438782/ 

May 28 at 8 pm – An Evening with Tedeschi Trucks Band
Led by guitar virtuoso Derek Trucks and singer-guitarist Susan Tedeschi, the Grammy Award-winning 12-member Tedeschi Trucks Band comes to Orlando for one night only on May 28. Since 2010, TTB has seen all three of their albums debut in the Top 15 of the Billboard 200, and won a Grammy for their debut album Revelator. Their new Let Me Get By is completely homegrown, produced by Derek Trucks with all original material from the TTB family. Call 844.513.2014 or visit drphillipscenter.org

May 28 at 8 pm – ‘Renaissance Man’ Todd Rundgren at Plaza LIVE Orlando 
As a songwriter, video pioneer, producer, recording artist, software developer, and inter-active artist (TR-i), Todd Rundgren has made a lasting impact on ALL of popular music. Rundgren began performing as a teenager, but it was 1972's Something/Anything?, on which he played all the instruments, sang all the vocals, and acted as his own producer that prompted the Press to call him 'Rock's Wunderkind'. For millions, he has defined the term ‘progressive rock.’ For tickets, visit plazaliveorlando.org/event/1456195/ 

May 29 at 11 am -- Memorial Day Service - "From A Grateful Nation"
This Free Memorial Day Service will honor the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War featuring Winter Springs High School Army ROTC, VFW Post 2093 Community Band, emcee Bud Hedinger, vocalist Charles Haugabrooks, the Florida State Re-enactment Society, and guest speaker Colonel Gerald Berry, USMC (Ret.). The FREE event will be held at Glen Haven Park at 2300 Temple Drive in Winter Park. Visit cityofwinterpark.org/events

June 2 to July 2 – ‘Animal Crackers,’ the Marx Brothers Musical Comedy 
From 1928, Mad Cow Theatre brings us the crazy, laugh-out-loud Marx Brothers musical-comedy, ‘Animal Crackers.’ Lowbrow humor rules as ‘Animal Crackers’ takes us into Margaret DuMont’s ‘dignified’ weekend party only to see it made ‘more interesting’ by Groucho and other ‘questionable’ guests. Dignity is banished in this farce that recalls how much fun it can be to poke fun at pretension. *Fun Fact: The script includes #53 of AFI’s ‘Greatest Movie Quotes of All Time.’ Call 407.297.8788 or visit madcowtheatre.com 

June 2 to August 20 – Orlando Museum of Art’s 2017 “Florida Prize”
The Orlando Museum of Art will open the 4th annual exhibit of the OMART Florida Prize on June 2 beginning at 7 pm (a ticketed event). Featuring 10 of the most progressive Artists working in the State today, one of the Artists will be selected to receive a significant monetary award while each Artist will be represented by a significant body of work at the Museum through August 20. Call 407.896-4231‎ or visit OMART.org 

June 3 to September 4 – Orlando Science Center’s “Identity: An Exhibition of You”
“Identity” at the Science Center is a 3-part interactive experience that explores our unique identities. In the age of the “selfie,” the new exhibit helps answer the question “How well do we know ourselves?” By checking our physical (e.g. finger-prints), psychological (personality types) and social identities (our relationships), we learn how we are different, AND how much we are the same. Highly Recommended at 777 East Princeton Street in Orlando, call 407.514.2000 or visit osc.org. 

June 3 at 8 pm – The Dr. Phillips Center Jazz Orchestra -- ‘Ellington for Lovers’ 
The debut solo performance of the Dr. Phillips Center Jazz Orchestra is reason enough to be happy, but artistic director Rodney Whitaker makes this performance even more special by presenting a program called ‘Ellington for Lovers.’ Ellington’s music always sets a mood for romance from ‘Sentimental Mood’ to ‘Do Nothin’ Til You Hear From Me,’ ‘All Too Soon,’ and ‘Sophisticated Lady, call 844.513.2014 or visit drphillipscenter.org 

June 4 at 6 pm – The 2017 “Applause Awards”
The Dr. Phillips Center “Applause Awards” program honors excellence in high school musical theater. Theater professionals and educators serve as judges to review high school productions with their shared comments as a way to support the teacher and student performers. Tabulated results determine awards in a constantly surprising, one-time-only show that features performances from the lead actor, lead actress, and Best Musical nominations. Highly Recommended, call 844.513.2014 or visit drphillipscenter.org 

June 4 at 7:30 pm – Maitland Symphony Orchestra Celebrates America
‘May the Fourth (of June) be with you’ as the Maitland Symphony honors American composers with "A Salute to America.” We all love Aaron Copland (in this case – ‘Hoe-Down’) and selections from William Grant Still’s "Afro-American Symphony". Additional offerings feature well-known American big band, movie, folk and spiritual melodies. Celebrate America’s best with the Maitland Symphony at the Maitland Presbyterian Church. Tickets are $10 at the door or in advance at eventbrite.com/e/maitland or call 321.303.1404 or visit PAMaitland.org

Josh Garrick is the Florida Arts Editor for Wandering Educators