Winter Park to host second annual Weekend of the Arts

Winter Park is considered by most to be an arts mecca — and the city agrees. 

Starting Feb. 15 and concluding Feb. 18, the city of Winter Park once again will display its artistic and culture side with the second annual Weekend of the Arts initiative.

The Winter Park Arts and Culture Alliance, comprising 18 arts and culture organizations and nonprofits throughout the city, has returned this year with a new schedule of cultural events, activities and art showcases to show off what makes Winter Park special. 

Winter Park Playhouse 

The Winter Park Playhouse is offering a discount for its jazzy “Ain’t Misbehavin’ - The Fats Waller Musical Show” throughout the entirety of the arts weekend. 

The energetic production examines the accomplishments of Fats Waller, the iconic 30s musician who set the stage for modern jazz. 

“You’re taking a step back in time to the ’30s at the Cotton Club in Harlem; you’re seeing these numbers done in the style the performers did back in those days,” Artistic Director Roy Alan said. “It’s a great chance to see performances people don’t get to see these days, it’s a different style of entertainment.”

Alan said the theater has wanted to produce this particular show for the last 17 years but just hasn’t been able to bring together the right cast. This musical season, though, the stars aligned.

The performers, including both playhouse newcomers and veterans, offer a variety of different styles and energies. They will be backed by a six-person band led by Chris Leavy. What’s more, the theater will have period-specific costumes and an elaborate, lavish backdrop to imitate the 1930s Cotton Club. 

The production ends Feb. 23. 

Bach Festival Society  

The Voctaves a capella group, led by Rollins music professor Jamey Ray, is well known to the Bach Festival Society and Rollins College community. But this will be the first time the group will be accompanied by an orchestral score led by Dr. John Sinclair. 

The 11-member group sings a variety of genres — from gospel music to Disney tunes — but the Feb. 16 production will have a handful of brand-new pieces written for both the Voctaves and the Bach Festival Orchestra.

Sinclair and Ray have a long history. Ray was a student at Rollins and had Sinclair as his academic adviser before earning his master’s degree in New York City.  

“My hope is that the many colors that an orchestra can give will just further the experience of listening to these great arrangements,” Sinclair said. “The analogy is they’ve been using the 44-pack of crayons, and now, they’re using the 144-pack of crayons. We can give them more color, more lines underneath them.”

The Weekend of the Arts also includes a free performance from Grammy-winning organist Paul Jacobs Feb. 15. 

“He might be the most famous organist of our time,” Sinclair said. “He made musical history once, at the age of 23, when he played all of Bach’s complete organ works within 18 hours. It’s crazy stuff.”

Blue Bamboo Center

The Blue Bamboo Center for the Arts books its performers far in advance, but co-owner Melody Cortez said she and her husband, Chris Cortez, made sure to include some special shows for the Weekend of the Arts. 

Svetlana and The Delancey Five, a New York-based jazz quintet, will premiere on Valentine’s Day and continue to perform swing music Friday, Feb. 15. The Ben Rosenblum Trio will pick things up Feb. 16 with some jazzy tunes. Rossano Sportiello, Nicki Parrott and Eddie Metz will end the weekend Feb. 17 with an afternoon and evening show. Sportiello, Parrott and Metz have been performing together since 2008. 

Finally, Chris Cortez will play a free solo show just for the Weekend of the Arts Feb. 18. 

“It’s first-class entertainment,” Melody Cortez said. “We’re a listening room; it’s a different experience instead of going to a bar or a restaurant. … We thought for the final event, that Chris would do a free show.”

Winter Park History Museum

For the second Weekend of the Arts, the Winter Park History Museum and WUCF will be presenting “Be My Neighbor!” Day, a family-focused celebration of Mr. Rogers and being a good neighbor, Feb. 16.

“People come by the thousands,” Winter Park History Museum executive director Susan Skolfield said. “Last year’s event had at least 3,000 people. It really is something.”

The event will have a number of hands-on activity tents throughout Central Park, managed by 32 WUCF staff members and Winter Park police and fire-rescue members, where families can play games and learn how to be a good citizen, Skolfield said. 

WUCF and WPHM cycle out games and activities each year, but an event mainstay is Daniel Tiger from the titular “Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood” PBS show. 

The Winter Park History Museum once again will present a number of educational panels on the life and impact of Mr. Rogers. The display started as a pop-up exhibit in 2015. Rogers, a Rollins College graduate, was closely connected to Winter Park throughout his life and stayed close with many in the Rollins Music department.

SCHEDULE:

Friday, Feb. 15

9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.: Weekend of the Arts Open House

5 to 8 p.m: Live music featuring the Beautiful Music Chamber Quartet at the Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art

10 a.m. to 4 p.m.: Wish You Were Here: The Hotels and Motels of Winter Park at Winter Park History Museum

10 a.m. to 4 p.m.: Body Snatchers — Death in Culture, De La Torre Brothers — Rococolab, José A. Figueroa — A “Transitional Generation”, The Place as Metaphor — Collection Conversations at Cornell Fine Arts Museum

2 to 4 p.m.: Ain’t Misbehavin’ — The Fats Waller Musical at Winter Park Playhouse 

7 to 9 p.m.: Andrew M. Grant: Elements opening reception at Hannibal Square Heritage Center 

7:30 to 9:30 p.m.: Paul Jacobs organ recital from Bach Festival Society of Winter Park at Knowles Memorial Chapel at Rollins College

7:30 to 9:30 p.m.: Ain’t Misbehavin’ — The Fats Waller Musical at Winter Park Playhouse

8 to 10 p.m.: “John Proctor is the Villain” at Annie Russell Theatre

8 to 10:30 p.m.: Svetlana and The Delancey Five at Blue Bamboo Center for the Arts

Saturday, Feb 16

9 a.m. to 1 p.m.: Hand in Hand: The Creative Works of Janvier Miller and Gustaf Miller and La Diaspora, Keepers of Heritage at Crealdé School of Art

9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.: Weekend of the Arts Open House at The Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art 

10 a.m. to noon: Children’s arts, crafts and live music with Mr. Harley at Mead Botanical Garden

10 to 11:30 a.m.: Now and Then Walking Tour at Hannibal Square Heritage Center

10 a.m. to 2 p.m.: Open House at Hannibal Square Heritage Center

10 a.m. to 4 p.m.: Central Florida Romance Writers Group at Winter Park Public Library

10:15 to 10:45 a.m.: Capen House Tour at The Capen House

Noon to 3 p.m.: WP History Museum and WUCF-TV: Be My Neighbor Day at Central Park and Winter Park History Museum.

Noon to 5 p.m.: Body Snatchers — Death in Culture, De La Torre Brothers — Rococolab, José A. Figueroa — A “Transitional Generation”, The Place as Metaphor — Collection Conversations at Cornell Fine Arts Museum

1 to 2 p.m.: Contemporary Sculpture Garden Tour with Curator David Cumbie at Crealdé School of Art

1 to 2 p.m.: The Significance of Place Art Tour at Cornell Fine Arts Museum 

1 to 5 p.m.: CFAMily Day: Art activities and more for the whole family at Cornell Fine Arts Museum

1:30 to 2:30 p.m.: Voices of History: A Celebration of John Teidtke at Winter Park Public Library 

2 to 4 p.m. and 7:30 to 9:30 p.m.: Ain’t Misbehavin’ — The Fats Waller Musical at Winter Park Playhouse

7:30 to 9:30 p.m.: Voctave Orchestral Debut from Bach Festival Society of Winter Park at Knowles Memorial Chapel at Rollins College

8 to 10 p.m.: “John Proctor is the Villain” at Annie Russell Theatre 

8 to 10:30 p.m.: Ben Rosenblum Trio at Blue Bamboo Center for the Arts

Sunday, Feb. 17

Noon to 5 p.m.:  Body Snatchers — Death in Culture, De La Torre Brothers — Rococolab, José A. Figueroa — A “Transitional Generation”, The Place as Metaphor — Collection Conversations at Cornell Fine Arts Museum

1 to 2 p.m.: Citizen of the World Art Tour at The Alfond Inn 

1 to 4 p.m.: Weekend of the Arts Open House at The Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art

1:30 to 2:30 p.m.: Voices of History: A Celebration of John Tiedtke at Winter Park Public Library

2 to 3 p.m.: Billy Collins: What Poets Talk About When They Talk About Love at John M. Tiedtke Concert Hall

2 to 3:30 p.m. and 8 to 9:30 p.m.: Sportiello, Parrott and Metz at Blue Bamboo Center for the Arts

2 to 4 p.m.: Ain’t Misbehavin’ — The Fats Waller Musical at Winter Park Playhouse 

3 to 5 p.m.: Voctave Orchestral Debut from Bach Festival Society of Winter Park Knowles Memorial Chapel at Rollins College 

3:15 to 4:45 p.m.: Life Screenings at Winter Park Public Library

4 to 6 p.m.: “John Proctor is the Villain” at Annie Russell Theatre

Monday, Feb. 18

9 a.m. to 4 p.m.: Hand in Hand: The Creative Works of Janvier Miller and Gustaf Miller and discussion with Barbara Tiffany curator of La Diaspora, Keepers of Heritage at Crealdé School of Art 

10 to 10:30 a.m.: Penelope, Princess of the Peacocks Children’s Show at Winter Park History Museum 

10 a.m. to 3 p.m.: Open House at Hannibal Square Heritage Center

10 a.m. to 4 p.m.: President’s Day at Albin Polasek Museum and Sculpture Gardens

1:30 to 3:30 p.m.: Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival “Best of Show” Walking Tour at Winter Park Public Library 

6:30 to 8 p.m.: Central Florida Anthropological Society Meeting and Lecture Series at Winter Park Public Library

8 to 10 p.m.: Winter Park’s “Weekend of the Arts” featuring Chris Cortez at Blue Bamboo Center for the Arts