“THE BODYGUARD on stage sounds fun,” I thought, “but is there really anybody in Winter Garden who can handle Whitney Houston songs for two whole hours?” It turns out there are at least two people up to the task, and The Garden’s got them both...
Garden Theatre welcomes Central Florida audiences to the regional premiere of this sensational summer musical. Directed by Sara Catherine Barnes, The Bodyguard runs July 9 - August 1, 2021.
They say you can't teach an old dog new tricks, yet that is exactly what the intrepid team behind HEAD OVER HEELS sought to do. The 2018 musical retells Sir Philip Sidney's Old Arcadia by way of Shakespearean line delivery and the music of The Go-Go's.
In the world of musical theatre, there are some shows that feel fresh and new, no matter how many times you see them. These are the musicals you drop everything to experience even if it may be your fortieth time. For musicals like that, the thrill of seeing what a different theatre, director, designer, or actor may do with a favorite piece can often be just as thrilling as sitting in an audience for opening night of a world premiere musical. For me, this is the case with Alan Menken and Howard Ashman’s LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS – a cautionary tale of what lengths some may take for love, fame and success all wrapped up in a colorful, fun, and nearly perfect book with catchy songs and memorable characters. A frequent choice when asked what my favorite musical may be (and I have seen/heard/performed in many), LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS is the perfect mix of comedy, horror, camp and love story all rolled into one. So, imagine my thrill sitting outside (without a mask based on the new CDC rules!) at the Walt Disney Amphitheatre in Lake Eola Park on opening night of Orlando Shakes latest production as the chords of the opening number began. Excitement, anticipation, and curiosity - and I am here to tell you 100 minutes later (without intermission) my expectations were not only met, but exceeded.
For their second in-person, socially distanced production at Lake Eola Park, Orlando Shakes in partnership with UCF is taking over Orlando with the hilarious award-winning, musical send-up of sci-fi 50’s movies, Little Shop of Horrors (May 5 - 23, 2021).
Audiences in Central Florida will delight in seeing the classic characters of Matilda, Miss Honey, and Headmistress Trunchbull live on stage! Directed by Garden Theatre's Artistic Director Joseph C. Walsh, the production will run November 19 - December 20, with an ASL-interpreted performance on Thursday, December 3 and a Sensory-Friendly performance on Saturday, December 12. Roald Dahl's Matilda the Musical is presented by AdventHealth.
Fate couldn't have found a more fitting show for the Garden Theatre's 2020 return than one with a whole song about getting out of the house and hitting the town... The Garden has done just about everything a theatre of its size can do to mitigate risk and keep its patrons safe... It did feel very good to be back in a theatre again...
Orlando Repertory Theatre (Orlando REP) opened Miracle In Bedford Falls to the public last weekend, delighting family audiences and welcoming in the holiday season. The musical based on the Frank Capra film a?oeIt's A Wonderful Lifea?? is written by Mark Cabaniss with music and lyrics by Lowell Alexander. This production runs through December 29, and is funded in part by Orange County Government through the Arts & Cultural Affairs Program with Directing Sponsorship from Frank Santos and Dan Dantin.
IF/THEN is a dramatization of the concept of opportunity cost. How different might your life be because you went to the park an hour later than you planned or lingered there a little longer? How much of life's trajectory is informed by choice as opposed to coincidence or what is 'supposed' to be? How could your seemingly inconsequential afternoon fundamentally change not only your life but also the lives of your friends and family? IF/THEN has a lot of thoughts on those questions... the overall reward is worthwhile.