Florida Culture for the Week of July 11 by Josh Garrick

‘Completely Hollywood’ – Laughs Guaranteed
We can always count on the Winter Park Playhouse to present theatricals that are full of fun and filled with talent. Their new production – running from July 15 to August 6 – is a high energy, fast-paced, ‘history’ of the 100-years of filmmaking in America.  It’s called Completely Hollywood (Abridged) and features the mad-cap antics of Mark Baratelli, Matt Horohoe and Joshua Siniscalco. This Hollywood send-up was created by the Reduced Shakespeare Company, and they take on America’s greatest cultural export in a seriously silly show-biz satire. Rummaging through our classic films, the play ‘condenses’ Hollywood’s history to 186 of the greatest films ever produced in a compilation of cinema clichés. The Washington Post said, “(This) smart, timely satire sent a Kennedy Center audience into regular peals of near-hysterical laughter.” It’s “Hurray for Hollywood,” and for the Winter Park Playhouse as they bring us yet another laugh-filled production. The Playhouse is at 711 Orange Avenue in Winter Park. Call 407-645-0145 or visit winterparkplayhouse.org

Completely Hollywood at Winter Park Playhouse

Winter Park Playhouse Part 2
Audiences at the Winter Park Playhouse have watched Candace Neal get sassy in Pump Boys and Dinettes, alluring in Shout! and bubbly in Sugar Babies. Now, Candace brings her powerful vocals to her debut Playhouse Cabaret performance called Love Will Keep Us Together. This super-talented, singing actress has performed around the country and recently released her first original album, Music From A Can. Along with accompanist Timothy Pappas, Love Will Keep Us Together promises amazing vocals, original love songs, and familiar tunes everyone will love! Ms. Neal will perform on Wednesday, July 20 and Thursday, July 21 at 7:30 pm. Call 407-645-0145 or visit winterparkplayhouse.org

Florida Sculptors at the Polasek
In a Museum named for a famous American sculptor, the new sculpture show opening at the Polasek Museum “is the first juried sculpture exhibition to showcase high-quality works by Florida sculptors to be shown at the Museum in support of its mission to promote representational art.” The exhibit opens July 19 and features works by 17 artists including Cheryl Bogdanowitsch, Doug Bringle, Louise Buhrmann, Mindy Colton, David Cumbie, Marsha DeBroske, Peter Forster, Daryl Golden, Patricia Lancaster, Shawn McCurdy, Victoria Nanos, Nan Reinking, Kirk Vaughn-Robinson, Henry Sinn, Katty Smith, Dean Stuart Warren, and Amy Weick. A marble bust of the Orlando Philharmonic’s Music Director Christopher Wilkins will be of special interest to exhibit visitors. The bust, created by Peter Forster, was commissioned by John and Jennifer Casebier, who then presented the work to the Philharmonic. The exhibit runs through September 18 commemorating the Museum’s 50th anniversary year while also honoring the legacy of Czech-born American sculptor Albin Polasek. The Museum is located at 633 Osceola Avenue in Winter Park. Call 407-647-6294 or visit polasek.org

Pensive Angel by Cheryl Bogdanowitsch for Polasek sculpture show

Horse sculpture by Mindy Colton for Polasek sculpture show

Polasek Museum Part 2
Showing concurrently with the Polasek Sculpture Show (July 19 to September 18) are photographs by 28 local artists as featured in The Red Chair Visits Orange County Public Art. Orange County Arts & Cultural Affairs Director Terry Olson issued an invitation to Florida photographers to choose a piece of public art to incorporate into a photograph of their own interpretation. (The photograph also had to include a red chair within the composition.)  The chair is symbolic of arts audiences and also represents the Red Chair Project, the area’s ‘cultural information center.’ Visit redchairproject.com. The photography exhibit also supports the goal of Orange County Arts & Cultural Affairs to bring awareness of the artistic treasures in our area to the public. The photographs may be viewed at ocfl.net/redchairpublicart. Call 407-647-6294 or visit polasek.org.  

Red Chair Photo by Chip Weston for Polasek PHOTO show

Tom Green Live at the Plaza
We know comedian Tom Green from his singularly unpredictable personality on MTV and his loony roles in films like Road Trip and Freddy Got Fingered. He’s been on the cover of Rolling Stone and briefly held the guest-host chair on late-night TV before creating his internet talk show Tom Green's House Tonight. Green will bring his stand-up comedy – live and in person – to the Plaza Theater on July 21st at 9 pm. Green recently shared his view of the world around him with our troops in Afghanistan, traveling to Kandahar where he performed for Canadian, US, British, and Australian forces. A ‘real guy’ people-person, Green’s been known to hang around and meet his audience after the performance. PLAZALive is at 425 N. Bumby Ave in Orlando. Visit plazaliveorlando.com

Tom Green, comedian

Josh Garrick is the Florida Arts Editor for Wandering Educators