“Josh Recommends” for the Week of November 15, 2019 By Josh Garrick 

“Inside the Score: Symphonie Fantastique” with Maestro Eric Jacobsen 
Hosted by the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra 
Nov 17 at 3 pm at the Bob Carr Theater 
Unrequited love, dreams, and witches are just the beginning of Hector Berlioz's iconic “Symphonie Fantastique.” Music Director Eric Jacobsen leads us into the mind of Hector Berlioz, complete with visuals, music examples, and highlighted excerpts culminating in a performance of the full work. Join the Orchestra and Maestro Jacobsen for an elegant pre-concert brunch to celebrate Berlioz and his heritage. At the Bob Carr, call 407.770.0071 or visit orlandophil.org

“Private Lies” – Improvised Film Noir Theatre at Rollins College
Nov 15 to 23 
Set in the Prohibition era of hard-boiled detectives and femme fatales, “Private Lies” is improvised film noir, meaning that each performance is different – based on audience in-put. Created and directed by David Charles, the personal demons of “Richard Lies, Private Eye” bring together his long-lost parents and a shady crime boss in a city much like New York. Only one man can make public the...Private Lies! Tickets at rollins.edu/annie 

Photo: Annabelle Cuitino

The CFCArts Theatre presents “A Christmas Story” 
Nov 22 to Dec 15 
Humorist Jean Shepherd’s memoir of growing up in the midwest in the 1940s follows 9-year-old Ralphie in his quest to get a genuine Red Ryder BB gun under the tree for Christmas. The consistent response: “You’ll shoot your eye out!” It’s all here including the family’s exploding furnace, the wet tongue on a cold lamppost and the “prize” lamp shaped like a woman’s leg. Everyone loves this theatrical holiday perennial. Call 407.937.1800 or visit cfcarts.com 

“The Play That Goes Wrong” 
Dec 3 to Dec 8 at the Dr. Phillips Center 
Described as “what would happen if Sherlock Holmes and Monty Python had an illegitimate Broadway baby?” – “The Play That Goes Wrong” is Broadway & London’s award-winning smash-hit comedy. Called “A gut-busting hit” by The New York Times and “The funniest play Broadway has ever seen” by HuffPost, this classic murder mystery is chock-full of mishaps and madcap mania. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED at the Dr. Phillips Center, call 844.513.2014 or visit drphillipscenter.org 

“MACBETH, the Scottish Play” at the Shakespeare Festival 
Final Weekend -- NOW to Nov 24 
Orlando Shakes makes sure that “Something wicked this way comes” in this visually striking production of Shakespeare’s “bad-luck” Scottish play. With a thrilling, stand-out performance by Lucy Lavely as Lady Macbeth, the play deals with the blind ambition that leads Macbeth to murder the Scottish king and seize the throne. Between murder and insanity, Lord and Lady Macbeth’s ‘power’ can only end in tragedy. Call 407.447.1700 or visit OrlandoShakes.org 

A Christmas Carol – A Ghost Story 
Nov 22 to Dec 22 at the Garden Theatre 
There are now so many versions of Dickens’ beloved “A Christmas Carol” that I find it uplifting when a company does a relatively straightforward version. The play being offered this season by the Garden Theatre in Winter Garden puts the ghostly qualities of the classic tale center stage as the ghosts weave through this Holiday story of redemption, magic, and hope as the greedy Scrooge learns the error of his ways. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED, for tickets call 407.877.4736.

“Bach and Beyond” with the Orlando Philharmonic 
Nov 25 at the Plaza Live 
Join the Orlando Philharmonic for Bach’s Sonata in G minor followed by an exploration of the music of South America as soloist Bridget Kibbey, performs a colorful and virtuosic World Premiere harp concerto by Brazilian composer João Luiz Rezende. The evening also features Concertmaster Rimma Bergeron-Langlois on Ravel’s “Rhapsodie de Concert for Violin & Orchestra.” The program concludes with Ginastera’s “Four Dances.” At the Plaza Live, call 407.770.0071 or visit orlandophil.org 

“The Seven Deadly Sins” via Wm. S. Burroughs
NOW to Nov 29
That “Hotbed” of curatorial interest – the Mills Gallery -- will present the deliciously decadent, “unsung visual works” from one of America's great artists – “The Seven Deadly Sins” As presented through the imagination of William S. Burroughs, the exhibit is curated and organized by Kyle Eagle, Enrique Wiedemann, Daniel Fuller, and The Modern Music Movement at the Mills Gallery. 

“Home for the Holidays” with the Orlando Philharmonic 
Nov 30 at 2 pm and 8 pm 
Conductor Albert George Schram returns with a Philharmonic tradition as the Orlando Philharmonic celebrates the sounds of the Holiday Season in Central Florida’s festive holiday audience favorite. The musical celebration features the Holiday Singers and the Opera Orlando Youth Chorus in familiar classics and new surprises. It’s the perfect concert to bring family and friends to together to celebrate this holiday season. Call 407.770.0071 or visit orlandophil.org

“The Spitfire Grill” at Mad Cow Theatre 
Dec 4 to 29 
In the next offering by the Mad Cow Theatre, “The Spitfire Grill” is for sale (BUT with NO interested buyers) Hannah decides to raffle it off with entry fees of $100 and the best essay on why you want the Grill. Percy, a feisty parolee, lands a job at the Grill and soon things start heating up as mail arrives by the wheelbarrow-full. A musical triumph, “The Spitfire Grill” is an inspiring celebration of the power of what one person can do. Please call 407.297.8788 or visit madcowtheatre.com 

Miracle in Bedford Falls – The Musical at Orlando Rep 
NOW to December 29 
“Every time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings!” The beloved Holiday film “It’s a Wonderful Life” is now a musical with the character George Bailey watching his dreams of travel pass him by. George finds himself in a desperate place on Christmas Eve until Clarence, (his guardian angel) shows George what the world would have been like if he had never been born. Friends and family surround George with the Holiday spirit of generosity and love, while the magic of Christmas transforms their community. At Orlando Rep, call 407.896.7365 or visit orlandorep.com 

Lillian Verkins’ “Over the Moon” Art Exhibit
NOW to Jan 6, 2020 at Orlando Science Center 
I’m “Over the Moon” honored to serve as the Curator for this exhibit by one of Florida’s most celebrated Artists at the Gallery at the Orlando Science Center. Lillian Verkins has received 26 juried awards including four “Best of Show” and five “1st Place” awards. Her OSC exhibit includes 30 paintings, most of which are quite large and rich in gorgeous color. The Gallery is on the Science Center’s 3rd floor, and the Gallery visit is included with regular admission. Visit LillianVerkins.com and / or OSC.org