Windermere Prep plans concert series

Rosemarie Redman is hoping the new Cypress Center Premier Concert Series will introduce students to new musical experiences throughout the year at Windermere Preparatory School. The series also gives the community an opportunity to see four concerts in the school’s entertainment venue.

Redman is the new director of fine arts at Windermere Prep.

“We offer a lot that our families and community can see their kids (perform), but we don’t have a lot that our families — parents and kids — can come see together,” Redman said. “The idea was to open up our theater and reconfigure our audience space to re-engage with the community as well.”

COMING TO THE STAGE

Photo by Nick Prowse

The concert series will bring four performances to the WPS stage.

Bo Bice, who has been called a modern-day Southern rocker, is the first performer in the series. He was the runner-up to Carrie Underwood in Season 4 of “American Idol.” His high-energy stage performances are full of rock anthems and ballads, Southern roots music, country and pop. He is backed by a band that delivers that same energy.

His career has spanned 25 years, and he was recognized by President George W. Bush at the White House for his performances for U.S. service members. Bice has been inducted into the Alabama Music Hall of Fame.

Tampa Brass Band is a 35-piece brass ensemble established in 2019. The band consists of a mix of skilled brass and percussion professionals, music educators and music enthusiasts from all over the Gulf Coast of Florida. Performances consist of music from the band’s repertoire, as well as arrangements of orchestral and popular classics. TBB presents an eclectic range of styles and high-level performances in the Tampa Bay area and regularly performs educational outreach events for Tampa Bay music programs.

Sincerely, Three is made up of local talent from Central Florida that entertains audiences with its musical theater and pop songs. The vocal trio celebrate the music of Broadway with its own signature twist. The three friends have had extensive careers performing all over the world, including Broadway national tours, Walt Disney World, Universal Studios, several cruise lines and Off-Broadway workshop productions.

The Broadway Bradshaws are a husband-and-wife duo who have relocated from New York City to Orlando and are now Disney performers.

Jared Bradshaw is best known for his eight-year run in the Broadway production of “Jersey Boys” and has performed at the NBA All-Star game and in Madison Square Garden.

A musical theater graduate of Shorter College in Rome, Georgia, Jared Bradshaw started his professional career performing for Disney Cruise Line and in regional theaters across the country. He currently performs daily at Walt Disney World playing four roles in Finding Nemo: The Big Blue and Beyond at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

Lindsay Northen Bradshaw appeared on Broadway in “Wicked” (ensemble and understudy for Glinda) for 13 years straight and in the national tour of “The Sound of Music” as Maria. Television credits include appearances on “New Amsterdam” and “The Americans.”

She is currently appearing in Finding Nemo, the Big, Blue and Beyond as Peach and Dory at Disney’s Theatre in the Wild in Orlando. Lindsay enjoys singing in concerts and teaching workshops with Jared as The Broadway Bradshaws.

EXTRAS FOR STUDENTS

While Bice is at WPS, theater students will get to get hands-on experience by assisting the professionals, unloading the sound equipment, setting up the microphones and gear.

The day before the Tampa Brass concert, members will be at the school to work with the students in the middle and high school band programs.

Two members of Sincerely, Three live in Redman’s Ocoee neighborhood. She said she reached out to them initially to ask them to teach a master class for the school’s musical theater students. That idea eventually evolved into requesting them to play in the concert series.

Lindsay Bradshaw was a member of the school’s audition panel last year and works closely with Windermere Prep. Students will work with the Bradshaws as well, handling the tech work for the show.

Bringing such a well-rounded group of musicians to Windermere Prep is important to Redman.

“It elevates our performing arts program, and it’s our way of engaging with the community on a different level,” Redman said. “It’s our way of giving back to the community.

“We just felt his would be a wonderful opportunity for our families to come to a place that they’re familiar with — or the community if they’re not,” she said. “It’s a local performing arts theater we’re wanting to share with the community.”