We all know driving downtown or to Winter Park to catch a play or concert can be a hassle. Luckily, there are a few local alternatives for you to add some culture to your daily routine, and they won’t even break the bank. There are plenty of good performances to catch in East Orlando – you just have to know where to look for them.
The local high schools are a great place to start. The performing arts departments usually put on a few different shows each semester, and the best part is that they’re both family-friendly and affordable.
This November, the Timber Creek Thespians are performing a modern retelling of the Greek classic “Oedipus Rex.” This play is based on a new, unpublished version of the script that theater instructor and Timber Creek Thespian co-sponsor, Elizabeth Horn, describes as “sleek and sophisticated.”
The Timber Creek Thespians are also putting on two musicals next year, starting with “A Chorus Line” in January.
“It’s [A Chorus Line] actually based on a series of real-life interviews with people who are auditioning to be in a chorus line of a musical. The big number people know from the show is ‘One,’” says Horn. “What I love about that production is that it’s completely student-directed.”
The second musical of the year will be “Urinetown,” an after-school production with a cast of 40-50 students.
“‘Urinetown’ is a comedic, social satire about this town that’s having a water shortage so they create laws to limit people’s abilities to use the restroom,” explains Horn.
For other family-friendly shows, check out Magic Curtain Productions, a non-profit organization and theatre group, located in the LifeSong Church in Avalon Park. The theater is non-denominational and offers both a Family Theater and a Little One’s Theater, which generally casts children, ages four through nine.
Magic Curtain was started by Rhonda Cato and her husband as a way to bring performing arts to East Orlando.
“When we first moved to Orlando in 2003, my oldest daughter did performance theater and my younger daughter wanted to get involved,” says Cato. “One of our goals is to bring performing arts to this side of town.”
Another one of their goals is to secure a building for Magic Curtain. In the meantime, they often perform at local schools and on October 22 they’ll be performing “Seussical Jr.” at Discovery Middle School. Then in November, the Little One’s Theater will perform “Beauty and the Beast” at Sunrise Elementary.
“We like to think that the entertainment we provide covers all ages,” says Cato.
Magic Curtain is also bringing “America’s Got Talent” to East Orlando with their version titled “East Orlando’s Got Talent.” The event will be on October 9 at the Avalon Park Amphitheater and the top three winners will win cash and other prizes.
If you’re looking for some adult entertainment, head up to UCF. Its theater department is finishing up its run in October of “Nice People Dancing to Good Country Music,” which mixes country music with a bar setting. Later in the month you can catch “The Pajama Game,” a comedy about a workplace romance that sparks a battle of the sexes.
Or if you just want to see a concert by your favorite artist, head over to the UCF Arena. In November, Kansas will stop by as part of their Collegiate Symphony Tour, and in March the kids can look forward to seeing the Harlem Globetrotters and Disney Live’s Phineas & Ferb.
Melissa Schaaf, marketing director for the arena, says that the surrounding community is one of the factors taken into account when acts are booked at the arena.
“Family shows have historically done well in our arena, and we always look to bring in acts and events that will appeal to the surrounding community.”
Article by Marisa Ramiccio
Upcoming Shows Mentioned in the Article Above:
Timber Creek High School
Oedipus Rex
Nov. 10-12 at 7 p.m.
Timber Creek High School
$8 in advance, $9 students, $12 adult
A Chorus Line
Jan. 26-28 at 7 p.m., Jan. 28 at 2 p.m.
Timber Creek High School
$8 in advance, $9 students, $12 adult
Magic Curtain Productions
Seussical Jr.
Oct. 22 at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Discovery Middle School
$5 at the door
East Orlando’s Got Talent
Oct. 9 at 2 p.m.
Free to the public
Avalon Park Amphitheater
UCF Theatre
Nice People Dancing to Good Country Music
October 1 and 6 at 8 p.m., October 2 at 2 p.m.
UCF Black Box Theatre
$17 adult, $15 senior, $10 student
The Pajama Game
October 20-22 and 27-29 at 8 p.m., October 23 and 30 at 2 p.m.
UCF Main Stage
$19 adult, $17 senior, $12 student
UCF Arena
Kansas
November 5 at 7:30 p.m.
The Venue at UCF Arena
$25-52.50
