“Josh Recommends” for the Week of May 26, 2018 By Josh Garrick 

May 28 – Memorial Day Services in Central Florida
All events are Free and listed in ‘time order.’ 

9:45 am – Gotha 
Music will be performed by the Orlando Concert Band as part of the Gotha Memorial Day Service, which will include a rifle volley, the sounding of taps and the tolling of a replica of the Liberty Bell in memory of war heroes. The event will take place at Woodlawn Memorial Park at 400 Woodlawn Cemetery Road in Gotha. 

10 am -- Orlando 
Accompanied by members of the Mayor's Veterans Advisory Council in a wreath-laying ceremony, Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs will speak as part of the War Memorial Commemoration at the Orange County Courthouse. The Mayor’s remarks will be followed by the sounding of taps. The Courthouse is at 425 N. Orange Ave in Orlando.

10 am -- Sanford 
There will be a 21-gun salute and a helicopter flyover along with a Parade and Ceremony beginning at First Street in downtown Sanford and ending with the Ceremony at Veterans Memorial Park at 110 E. Seminole Blvd in Sanford. 

11 am – Winter Park 
Winter Park’s Memorial Day Services will include Lt. Col. Scott Harris, USMC as the Keynote Speaker, the Winter Springs High School Army ROTC, the VFW Post 2093 Community Band, Emcee Bud Hedinger from 540 WFLA, vocalist Charles Haugabrooks, the Florida State Re-enactment Society, and Boy Scout Troop 613 at Glen Haven Memorial Park at 2300 Temple Drive in Winter Park.

11 am – Daytona Beach 
A special Memorial Day ‘Remembrance’ to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the Vietnam War will include a wreath-laying ceremony, a rifle salute, bagpipes, a live vocal performance of the national anthem, and a flyover at Daytona Memorial Park at 1425 Bellevue Ave in Daytona Beach.

11 am – Orlando 
An event honoring all veterans will be held by AMVETS Post No. 30 at Washington Park Cemetery at 2600 Bruton Blvd in Orlando. 

2 pm – Lake Nona 
A Memorial Day Ceremony, presented by the Central Florida Veterans Memorial Park Foundation will be held at the VA Medical Center at Lake Nona at 13800 Veterans Way in Orlando. An RSVP to CFVMPF.RSVP[at]gmail.com is suggested due to limited seating. 

Current – Congratulations! – Well Earned 

It is with pleasure that my Publisher Dr. Jessica Voigts and I join in CONGRATULATING Christi, Kate, and Wendy of Orange Appeal for 10 years of publishing their unique magazine. It’s easy to love a magazine that focuses on beauty, achievement, spirit, good taste and design, while consistently supporting the fund-raising efforts of our Arts and Health organizations in every issue from a time of recession to … better times. CONGRATULATIONS on a decade of celebrating the stories and accomplishments of the women of Florida (and a few men, too). Visit orangeappeal.com 

Second Harvest Food Bank presents: Disney Boardwalk Resort Chefs
May 31 from 6 pm to 9 pm 
Chef's Night is an evening at the impressive Second Harvest Food Bank featuring Florida's best chefs and cuisine to benefit the Community Kitchen's Culinary Training Program, which provides economically disadvantaged adults with the training needed to pursue a career in the food industry. In short, support of Chef's Night helps those in need out of poverty. The Disney Chefs will be led by Andrew Larkin, Executive Chef of Disney's Boardwalk Resort, and the $75 ticket includes 5-course dinner, drinks, wine and beer at 411 Mercy Drive in Orlando. Call 407.295.1066 or visit feedhopenow.org 

Star Trek meets Mozart in “The Abduction from the Seraglio”
May 31 and June 2 at 7:30 pm at The Plaza Live 
Going “where no opera has gone before,” our adventurous Opera Orlando will present the Pacific Opera Project’s ‘unique’ production of Mozart’s 1782 comic opera. “The Abduction from the Seraglio’s” mix of comedy with Mozart’s music made it a major hit. Up-dated to ‘the future,’ Opera Orlando finds the dastardly Klingons have abducted Lt. Uhura. But take heart. Our stalwart opera company will join the Starship Enterprise to rescue the beloved Uhura. Josh Shaw, who conceived, scripted, and directed the adaptation, will direct the Orlando performances, (sung in English), with the Orlando Philharmonic performing. Visit OperaOrlando.org or call 407.512.1900. 

CFCArts 4th Annual (Theatre) Fundraiser
June 1 at 6 pm 
If you want to help out the ‘Theatre’ part of the CFCArts phenomenon, sign up for the fundraiser for CFCArts scheduled for June 1. The evening will include light hors d’oeuvres, cocktails (for purchase), Live Performances (and I’m really hoping that will include Trevor Southworth singing “Being Alive” from their recent production of Company!!!); Awards for Season 3, and the announcement of their 4th Season. Held at The Mezz in downtown Orlando valet parking is available, with plenty of parking garages nearby. Call the CFCArts Box Office at 407-937-1800 x 710 

Tony Award Winning Musical – “Fun Home” at the Mad Cow Theatre 
June 1 to July 1
Winner of five Tony Awards including Best Musical, Fun Home is a tragi-comedy about family and sexual identity. Adapted from Alison Bechdel ‘s graphic memoir, Fun Home adds music to a heart-wrenching and hilarious script. Following Alison’s journey into her sexual identity and her relationship with her closeted father, the story is told through the theatrical device of three Alisons – small, medium, and large – who take the audience through a compelling memoir of first experiences, coming of age and loss. Visit madcowtheatre.com or call 407.297.8788 

The Dr. Phillips Center Applause Awards 
June 2 at 7 pm 
Modeled after Broadway’s Tony Awards, this event celebrates outstanding performances that showcase the talent and dedication of high school musical theater programs, and the teachers and students who create those performances. To participate, schools have their productions reviewed by a team of adjudicators who provide valuable feedback. Each spring, the Dr. Phillips Center hosts an awards showcase to recognize the “best of” those high school musical theater productions. Visit drphillipscenter.org or call 844.513.2014 

‘RENT’: 20th Anniversary Tour at Dr. Phillips Center
June 5 to 10 
In 1996 a rock musical by a little-known composer opened on Broadway and went on to win a Pulitzer Prize and several Tony Awards. More than two decades later, Jonathan Larson’s RENT continues to speak to audiences across generations and around the world. Now that award-winning musical returns to the stage in a not-to-be-missed 20th anniversary production. A contemporary take on Puccini's “La Bohème,” RENT follows the lives of seven struggling artists whose message of hope reminds us of the one thing that truly matters – love. Visit drphillipscenter.org or call 844.513.2014 

The Little Mermaid Surfaces at Orlando Shakes 
June 14 - July 29
Adapted by the comically clever Brandon Roberts, and based on Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale, The Little Mermaid is the familiar story of a precocious young mermaid who dreams of turning in her fins for legs and walking on land. Against the advice of her friends, she makes a deal with an evil Sea-Witch for the chance to earn the love of a human (who happens to be a Prince). Ignoring the danger, the little mermaid can NOT ignore her heart. Told with a combination of real actors with giant puppets, Orlando Shakes offers its own on-dry-land version of this timeless tale. Call 407.447.1700 or visit orlandoshakes.org 

Central Florida Community Arts Presents Symphonic Cinema: The Sequel 
June 15 & 16 at 8 pm 
Performed by Over 150 Members of the CFCArts Symphony Orchestra, CFCArts presents Symphonic Cinema: The Sequel, performed by the Orchestra with a special appearance by 60 voices from the CFCArts Choir. Following up on their “movie music” concert of 2016, this ‘sequel concert’ includes music from modern classics to timeless memories of the silver screen. “I truly believe you'll hear and experience something you never thought a community orchestra could do,” says Justin Muchoney, conductor of the CFCArts Symphony. “With the size of our orchestra comes a power, emotion, passion, and energy that is perfectly suited for film scores like these.” Performed at Calvary Orlando at 1199 Clay Street in Winter Park, tickets are $10, $15 and $25. (age 12 and under free). Visit CFCArts.com/Cinema or call 407-937-1800 ext. 710

On-going … 

Fine Art Photography Exhibit -- “Margaret Bourke-White's Different World” 
NOW to August 26 
As a young photographer, the trail-blazing Margaret Bourke-White pursued a (then-unique) documentary vision. Her photographs of Russia were the first images produced by a foreign artist in that country under Stalin. Later, following her pioneering role as a woman photo-journalist in World War II, she produced emotional images of the liberation of the Buchenwald concentration camp, resulting in some of the most powerful photographic works of the 20th century. This exhibit focuses on her work abroad as she documented pivotal moments of change in politics, cultural shifts, and class transformations. At the Cornell Art Museum at Rollins College, call 407.646.2526 or visit rollins.edu/cornell-fine-arts-museum/exhibitions/2018/margaret-bourke-white.html

Margaret Bourke-White, (American, 1904–1971), Bolshevik Babies in the Nursery: AMO Automobile Factory, 1931, Photogravure print, 16 in. x 20 in

Orlando Science Center Presents the “Hall of Heroes” 
NOW to September 3
Join the world of superheroes, crime-fighters and spies in the Hall of Heroes! Find yourself in the middle of the action through several themed adventures with surprises around every corner. Combine science and science fiction and discover your own super powers as you push boundaries to become a true HERO! Can you defuse a bomb? Can you ‘stay cool’ – in the Laser Lab. You’ll see the Batmobile – WITH an interactive Batcave and other movie props with something for the whole family at the Science Center in Loch Haven Park, visit osc.org or call 407.514.2000