Brand new swan boats at Lake Eola.

Posted on by Thor

When I sketch in downtown Orlando, I always park near Lake Eola. I like to walk around the lake before finding theaters, galleries or clubs. I was impressed to see that the city has invested in band new swan boats. They have canvas awnings that keep the tourists from getting sun stroke. I paddled the old swans and it is quite the aerobic workout. In that case I had to paddle and sketch at the same time. Unfortunately if you try to paddle a swan boat alone, you end up traveling in a tight circle.

Music is now being piped all around the lake and I must say it is growing on me. It is nice to have a personal soundtrack as I head off to the next sketch location. Holiday lights have been going up even before Thanksgiving and the artificial Christmas tree is already taking form next to the Disney Amphitheater. The seating area at the amphitheater now has extra police tape between the gaps in back row seats to insure that no one is tempted to sit. There is one ugly duckling in among the fleet of swans. The duck is basically a swan boat minus the black eye patch design. The duck also lacks the awning to block the sun, so insist on a swan if you are up for a paddling adventure.

A quiet afternoon at Stardust Video and Coffee.

Posted on by Thor

With time to spare before going to sketch an event, I decided to order dinner at Stardust Video and Coffee (1842 Winter Park Rd, Orlando, FL). I decided to sit onstage looking out over all the tables and the bar. The tables are old antique doors that had been shellacked a million times. My Rob Reiner sandwich and Coke arrived and I sketched between bites. Pink fish and colorful Japanese lanterns illuminated the dark ceiling. The guy in the red shirt was nodding off to sleep while a young couple chatted with excitement. It was her 1/2-birthday and she was celebrating. I like the idea of celebrating half birthdays. I wonder is she celebrates her 1/4 birthday or her 1/8 birthday. Better yet why not celebrate every 1/365 birthday? I’d just be sure to skip the cake.

Most everyone else was plugged into their digital devises. Doug Rhodehamel had a series of sketches on display in the far room. They were all done strictly in blue. I suppose every artist goes through a blue period. In my senior year at high school I only did blue sketches to rebel against the football coach- Art teacher’s strict photo realism. I’m proud to say I failed art that year, but I partied hard with the actors and had a blast.

Weekend Top 6 Picks November 29 & 30

Posted on by Thor

Saturday November 29, 2014

6pm to 8pm Free Brewery Tour. Orlando Brewing, 1301 Atlanta Ave, Orlando, FL.

8pm to Midnight Free, but grab a beer. The Falcon Presents: C-Note Collection. The Falcon 819 E Washington Street, Suite 2, Orlando, Fl. Original art and framed prints under $100. Take home your art on the spot! Perfect Holiday gift!

Artists include:

The Art of Bianca Roman-Stumpff

Bryan Carson’s Art

Brian Demeter

DRES13

Eric Frost

Gina Marie of Copper Fox Tattoo Co.

Jaime Torraco

Kyle Frazer

Lucy Fur

Melissa McHenry

Morgan Wilson (Lux Nova Studio)

The Art of Plinio Pinto

Schiani Ledo

Will Pig

Thor

11pm to 1am Free. Dead Precedence presents: Kim Kardashian / Break the Internet. The Space 1206 E Colonial Dr, Orlando, Fl. ´´™®ß˝™˝´˛¨�´™˛©˛™�¨≠ÆÆØ≠¨´©®®©™˛´˛¨ˇ≠˘™ˇ©˝´ˇ©¸´ ÆØ™´´™´¯´ˇ™ˇ©˝™ˇ©�https://www.facebook.com/events/323746007813554/?notif_t=plan_user_invited

©™´™™©◙ Dead Precedence ◙™´≠¨™©™®®ß˝®�™´™™´˝™ˇ´�¨´´˚¨ˇ≠˝¨ˇ≠ˇ©ˇ™K´¨Øب¨´´™™´´≠´ßû]�����������������������#&!�����$46*8CD>K_]JUfhdakvuw|ÄÅÄÄÉ2Éâçêóòôûõòôúúôöü†ùù†§••ß®•¶®ß¢£¶£•®©©®©™≠±ØÆ∞©ß≥¥≥≥˛≤ˇ¥ˇ∑˛∂�∏ªº˛π,Ωæº◙ presents ◙ªª¿π∂∏∫ººø∫ΩæΩææ¡¡¬æº¿¡¬¡¬√¡¡ƒ≈√¡¬»«≈≈∆«»» ∆«…ÕÕÀÀÕà »ÀÕÃ…»“Œ–—ÃÕ–”ÕŒÕÃÀÕà ÷˛’[“–”ÿ–€›÷““÷‡”–◊⁄“‘Ÿ÷‡◊◊‹“ÿÁÿ’fi›÷—ŒÌ‰Œ‚ÂÏ·–·Êχ·‹fiÿ‰ÊÊ›‹‚‚flfl·‡·flÁÁfiÊfi‚ËÂÈ΂fl‚‚‡fl„‚fi›‰‚fi⁄›·‚›�„fiŸ÷‹„‰fl˝„sfl ⁄⁄fi›fi‹‹·Â‡◊⁄‹fi‹⁄€›flÂË⁄”‹‡‹€›⁄›ÿÿ€⁄fiŸ⁄◊⁄‹””„·‘÷÷Ÿ›’⁄fi’“ÿ›⁄ÿÿŸ÷‘’◊’”“÷ÿŸ◊÷◊◊‘‘”“—“’’”—““—“Œ œ‘“œÕœ—–Œ …»Àœ–ŒÀ»ÃŒÕÃŒÕÀ�”–Õ ÀøÀ�»∆≈»…∆≈∆»«ƒ√≈√¬¡√ƒ≈ƒ√˛∆ˇ≈&∆≈¬ƒ≈√¡¿√∆∆¬¬¡¡¿øæΩææ¿æº∏∑µªº∑≥≤∑∂بÆØ≠˛´ˇ™�•£ß™®§˛°ˇ¢�ûõïíïìëèâÇ}{~ÅzuwvzÜKricLCA:<935 br="" q="">≠ÆÆ≥≤±Æ≠≠™™˘≠˘™˘≠�´¨≠≠Æ≠≠˝¨ˇ´˛™�≠¨´™™´¨≠≠˝¨ˇ≠�ƨ¨˝´ˇ¨�Æ≠≠¨¨≠≠Æ≠˝¨ˇ≠ˇÆ�≠¸¨�≠™™˛¨�≠˜Æ˛¨�≠Æ¸Ø˝ÆˇØˇÆ˝ØˇÆˇ™ˇ©ˇ™ˇ´ˇ©ˇ¨ˇ≠ˇØ�≠´´™◙ Kim Kardashian ◙©©®¶˚™ˇ´˛™ˇ´�™ßß˝™˝´˛¨�´™˛©˝™�≠˛Æˇ≠�´™©©™™˘¨˘™ˇ©�™´´™˛©ˇ™ˇ´�¨ÆØ´´˝™ˇ´˘™˝Æ˝´ˇ™˝´˜™�©™´™™©™´≠¨™™´©®®©©®©™´´™´˝™ˇ´�¨´´Û¨ ©´™™¨¨≠Ø≠¨˚´ˇ™
®¢g�����������˛�,���������!## ���� ,200>JJMX`ddeilorxÅ~xvz~Ä{z�åêíì˛ó�öõôöùõïìñ°ùúû°¢£•¨™®©©ßß™◙ Break the Internet ◙¶©≠ÆÆ˛≠�ÆØ∞∞≤¨´≤±≤¥µµ¥¥≥π∏∂∑∏πªª˛πˇºˇπ%∏º∑∂∏∫ªªºªªΩººΩ¡¬¡¡¿¡¿æøƒƒ¬√∆∆≈ƒ∆«∆≈∆«˛»ˇ«
…ÃÀ…… ŒÃ…ÃÕÃ…»˚œi“‘œ–ŒÕÖ—–““”‘““’⁄‘⁄Ÿ÷‘””‹”œ◊€’ÿ›⁄‹ŸŸ€‘ÿ‰‹‹›€›€Õ‰Á€‚€„fl’ÁÎÁfi‡›€’‡⁄ÿfi„‰‚„‚‰Â‡fl„ÍÊ›ËËʉfiÂ͇fi·››„‰„·„„‚·‚Ê·ˇ‚�‡fl‡·›ÿ››‚„fl‹›˛· fl›fl‡ÿ›fi‡fl˛fi7fl‰Ê‹’⁄fi⁄⁄€ÿ›Ÿÿ⁄◊⁄›€Ÿ⁄€’’·÷ÿ◊Ÿ€‘⁄‹÷”ÿ‹⁄ÿŸ€◊‘’÷’‘‘÷ŸŸ÷’÷’˛‘%“–—‘‘”’÷“——ÃÀ–”—ŒŒ–—–ŒÃ …Àœ–ŒÀÕŒŒÃÃŒŒÃ�œŒÃÀ… Àû… …«∆»…«∆∆««≈ƒ≈˛¬˛¡�¬ƒ˛∆�ƒ≈∆≈√ƒƒ√¡¡ƒ∆≈√¬¡¡˛¿�æøæ¿æºπ∏∂ª∫∂±Ø≥¥∞´Æƨ™˛´�™¶•ß®§†ùõúùûüúòñéçååçäÜÅÜá{qutpq@tspgWF@A>;987423//010.’#$!�����������������������������&q¶≠ßúöØ™¨˝´ˇ¨˝≠�¨˝≠ÌÆ˝≠¸¨ˇ≠�Æ≤±±Æ≠≠´´˘≠˘´˘≠�´¨≠≠Æ≠≠˝¨ˇ´˛™ˇ≠�¨´´¨˝≠˛¨�≠ÆÆ˘´�Æ≠≠¨¨≠≠Æ≠˝¨ˇ≠�Æ≠≠˚¨ˇ™˛¨�≠˜Æˇ¨ˇ≠ˇÆ˛Ø˚Æ�ØÆÆ˝ØˇÆ�©¸™ˇ´�©™¨¨≠≠ÆØ˛´�™©˛®˝™˝´˚™ˇßˇ©ˇ™ˇ´¸¨�´™˛©˝™ˇ≠ˇÆˇ≠�¨´©™™´˛¨˛´˜™ˇ©˝™¸©�™´´¨Æ¨´™©©™´¨˘™�Æ˛≠˛´˛™˝´˝™˝´ˇ™ˇ™ˇ´˛™�´≠¨™™˛´�®´™©™´´˙™¸´˘¨˝´ˇ¨˝´ˇ¨˛≠ˇ¨˛´ˇ¨�™©®•q!������˛�ˇ�˛�+���������”%#���”!)4;8>IQQR[ikiklljklxuwÄááÄy?{ÄÑáéëîôöôõùõñî◙ DJ Good for Nothing ◙ñúöôú†£¶©§•¶©©®®ß™≠ØØ≠´™™Ø≠≤µ≥ر≤Ø≤∑∫∫∑∂≥∫∏µ∑∏∫ª∫˛∏ˇª˝∏”∂µπ∫ª∫ªººΩºΩΩ¡√ƒ√ƒ¬øΩ¿ƒƒ√ƒ∆∆≈≈∆∆≈≈∆˛»�«ˇ∆�» »»…–ŒÀՌû» ŒÕÖ“—”——–ÕÕ–’’——˛“�—”÷’÷‘÷Ÿ‘“ÿ—Õ”ÿ‘Ÿ›ÿ◊‹ŸŸ÷◊˛‡7›◊‚‰œ‹Ë‹›’‚ÂflÊ›ÿ‚flŸ⁄‚◊ÿÈÔÁ‰Â„flÁ‚„„ËÁfi„·◊‹·€‹flÿfiÁËÊÈʽÊ�·‹�·„‰„‡›⁄÷◊€fl·fi›fi·‡·‡‡·„‚fi˛‡ˇ·�flfififl‚‹÷ÿ€⁄€Ÿ◊›€Ÿ€◊⁄fi‹Ÿ€›÷’fl·˛÷CŸ⁄’◊⁄÷÷Ÿ€⁄Ÿ⁄‹ÿ‘’÷÷’÷◊ÿŸ◊÷’’“””“––””“ŸŸ”——Ãד–œœ––œŒÕÀ ÀŒœŒÃ”—œÕŒ––œ& ÀÀ «»ÀŒ∆« …… …∆≈∆«∆≈ƒ√≈≈√¿ø√≈≈∆≈√ƒ∆∆˛ƒE¬¡¬≈ƒ¬√¬¡¡¿¿¡¿¿ø¿æºππ∏∫∫∂±≠±≤±ÆØب™´´™´©®©®§†üùúúû¢¢†ùöôñïñóêÜáêévqt{AurhPFA?@<<@;1.6:5365-‘&$! !���������������������������)r§¨®üò´≠¨¨˛´ˇ¨�≠Æ˛≠ÈÆ˚≠˝¨ˇ≠ˇ±ˇÆˇ≠ˇ´˘≠˘´˘≠�´¨¸≠˝¨ˇ´˛™Û≠ˇÆˇ≠˝¨˜≠¸¨˛≠˚¨ˇ´ˇ™˛¨�≠˜Æ˝≠˙Æˇ≠˛Æ˘≠�´¨¨˛≠ˇ¨ˇ™ˇ¨ˇ≠ˇÆ�´˛™ˇ©ˇ®¸™˛´ˇ™˝©ˇß˛©�™´¸¨ˇ´ˇ™ˇ©�™´™◙ no cover ◙´´≠ÆÆ≠¨´´©¯™ˇ©˘™ˇ©˝™˚©�™´´¨¨´™©©™´¨˘™ˇÆˇ≠˝´ˇ™˝´¸™ˇ´˛™�™˛´˛™�´≠¨™™˛´�™´´˛™�´™©¸™¸´¯¨ˇ´˛¨˝´˝¨�≠¨¨´´˛¨?≠™ß¢y)�����������������!���� ‘&#�� $$-:>??FPQKR^pookfeglwxÄâêéäá�àããäéççëóñòõõöõûööõù¢•®™¶˛•3¶®¨Ø≤≥≤∞≠´¨≠¨®∞≥≠¨±∞Æ∞µ∏π∑∂¥∏∂µµ∏∫∫∑∂∑∑∫ªπ∫ª∏∑∑πªª∫º˛Ω�¿øø¿≈ƒ≈∆¬øæ¡≈¬¬√˛ƒ ≈∆ƒƒ≈∆»»«∆ˇ∆[« … Õ–ŒÀՌÅ»«ŒÃ…œ‘—–——œÕÕ—””—““——––“”—“ÿ€◊“Ÿ”œ‘⁄’ÿ⁄‘‘fl⁄◊◊’‹‡‹›ÿ‡Ê÷⁄Êÿ‹⁄„ÈÁÁ›Ÿ⁄ÁÊ€flÁŸfiÒÚ„‰˝‚�‰‡‡‚fl·ÊÈη‡·⁄›fl‘‡ÌËÁ͉ÊÁËÁ„fi€?·‚·‡fi›‹€⁄€››flfi‡fl›fl‡fl‡‰Â‚·fl‡‡fi›‹€fi›Ÿÿÿ⁄›€Ÿ›⁄⁄›⁄››Ÿÿfi·Ÿ’÷‹◊÷÷Ÿÿ÷◊˛ÿ�Ÿ˛⁄8€⁄◊÷◊ÿ◊◊ÿÿ◊◊’÷÷”–—““——”“–Ÿÿ”––

Sunday November 30, 2014

10am to Noon Free. Super Joy Riders. Eastern entrance of the Lake Eola Farmers’ Market. You + Superhero Costume + Bike = Best Sunday Ever. The Super Joy Riders: Do Gooder Bike Ride is an exercise in community organizing and active engagement. We hope to use the ride as an opportunity to show how helping people can be simple, fun, and easy, especially while wearing a cape.

http://www.superjoyriders.com/

1pm to 3pm Free. Yoga. Lake Eola Park, 195 N Rosalind Ave, Orlando, FL. Every week.

9pm to 11pm Free but grab a brew. Solo Acoustic Spoken Word. Natura Coffee & Tea, 12078 Collegiate Way, Orlando, FL. Weekly spoken word event. 407 482-5000

Carmina Burana swept into the new Dr. Phillips Performing Arts Center.

Posted on by Thor

I went to a dress rehearsal for Carmina Burana at the new Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts. I was told to enter the stage door which is off Anderson Street. This was my first time in the brand new building. I nervously asked a security guard if I needed to sign in but he just pointed me up a stairway. The stage door opened up leading me right back stage. Dancers were stretching and nervously waiting for the run through of the show to start. Hundreds of singers were on stage standing in bleachers and on a second level balcony. I searched for the entrance to the auditorium seating and got lost with one of the dancers who was doing the same. I felt a bit more at ease knowing this new venue was also new to the performers.

The show features The Bach Festival Society of Winter Park and the Orlando Ballet as they re-mount the acclaimed 2013 performance of Carl Orff‘s Carmina Burana for one night only, during the Grand Premiere of the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts presented by Dr. Phillips Charities and Balfour Beatty Construction.

This program marks the third time the Bach Festival has presented this work as a joint choral–ballet presentation, first in 1992 with Southern Ballet Theater and the second in 2013 with the Orlando Ballet. The Bach Festival Society has performed this work as a concert piece several other times since 1990 under John Sinclair’s baton, as well as with the London Symphony Orchestra in 2009.

Three noted vocal soloists are singing with the Bach Festival Choir, Youth Choir, and Orchestra on this program: soprano Julia Foster, tenor James Hall, and baritone Gabriel Preisser. Robert Hill, artistic director of the Orlando Ballet, is the choreographer for this performance.

From my front row seat, I got a fabulous view of the large orchestra pit. One of the French Horn players, Kathy Thomas waved to me from the pit. Robert Hill greeted me and talked about how exciting it was to be in the new space. I felt at home, althouch the sketch was a challenge. John Sinclair was in the spotlight. What makes the theater impressive are the many booth seats that are stacked along the side walls of the theater. It isn’t a particularly large or ornate theater but the eyes are drawn upwards towards the high ceilings.  The chorus was still “on book” and John scolded them to memorize the music before the performance. My wife sang Carmina Burana and it is challenging to memorize. The hundreds of voices combined with the ballet was mesmerizing. The dark sometime sinister music has been used again and again in movies so it’s driving theme is instantly recognizable. Male dancers supported female dancers making them appear to leap forward and backwards, weightless and in slow motion. This is an incredible performance to christen the new space. There was only one performance of the show on November 22nd at 7:30pm. It must have been magical and overwhelming with a full house. It felt nice to execute my first sketch in the new space. I hope it is the first of many.

Artegon Grand Opening opened my eyes to the creative potential of this new market.

Posted on by Thor

I went to the grand opening of Artegon at the north end of International Drive across from the Outlet Stores. Retail spaces are being made available to artists and artisans to sell their wares for as little as $6 a day. As an artist, this prospect of getting my work to be viewed by tourists is an exciting option. All the market spaces are surrounded by wire fencing. When I toured the empty space, with little light it reminded me of an asylum. The grand opening however changed my perspective.

165 artist booths and stores offer an amazing variety of art and crafts. I was surprised to see The Daily City had rented a prime space near the cinema. I talked to Mark Baratelli who is using the space as his office and a permanent Pop Up Shop.  He had art by local artist Boy Kong and he pointed out some metal elephants that he had an artist make. The woman next to me remarked that they would make nice stocking holders for Christmas. Mark loved the idea. The elephant’s trunk made a nice hook and the sculptures were heavy enough to support a stocking stuffed with gifts.

What has kept me from renting a space is the fact that I don’t want to commit so much time to staying in a retail space. I might be called to do a sketch at any time of the day and since I work on location, I’d have to leave shop. I told Mark about my idea of buying a used vending machine to dispense post card sketches. The problem with the vending machine is that I would still have to open shop in the morning and close shop at night. We also spoke about the possibility of my setting up a card display in the Daily City Shop. This might be a good way for me to at least dip my toe in.

I was enthralled by the place. A large rope, sky maze was set up in the central hub of the market. Occasionally people could be heard screaming as they zip lined across the divide. Better still an enterprising vendor was renting out motorized plush puppies which an adult or child could ride around the market. Two puppies pretended to crash into each other at their very tame speed, and the two riders spilled off in slow motion to the floor. A stilt walker walked over and inquired if they were OK. They laughed and got back on. A balloon artist had life sized balloon sculptures scattered among several vendors. A soap shop had a balloon woman taking a balloon bubble bath. Stilt walkers stood behind me and watched the sketch evolve. I found it funny that they were trying to see from that great height.

Houck Talent had brought in the stilt walkers and African Acrobats for the grand opening. I sketched the acrobats as they did their routine. They  created a human pyramid with a flourish and then one acrobat stacked chairs until he could almost touch the ceiling with his toes when he did a handstand. A sizable crowd clapped and whooped. It is almost impossible to see every artists booth. I got lost finding myself distracted by unexpected wares and bright colors at every turn. Not every booth was occupied, so it seems that there are still opportunities for local artists to make this space their own. I decided not to look at every artist booth. I decided I wanted to share this shopping experience with my wife. If the Artegon Market maintains this level of excitement moving forward it will certainly prove to be a required shopping destination this holiday season.

Lawyer Dennis O’Connor presents his case.

Posted on by Thor

I had a second opportunity to sketch lawyer Dennis O’Connor in action at the Orange County Courthouse. Getting through security into the building was an adventure. Pockets had to be emptied and everything went through the scanner while I walked through the metal detector. My bag had to be searched a second time and my brushes were to blame. I had to explain what the brushes were for and then I was sent on my way. I had been assigned to sketch Dennis by his family. They wanted to surprise him with a courtroom sketch for his birthday. The first time I sketched him in a Sanford Courthouse and he had no idea what I was up to. Those sketches unfortunately showed Dennis rather small on the far side of the courtroom.

Dennis was in the elevator as I went up to the courtroom. This time he knew why I was sketching. He briefly explained the case to me. He was defending Dale Steele. Dale was a friend of an elderly woman named Loretta Viles. She had signed a document naming him as her caretaker. Sylvia’s family was suing Dale claiming that he took advantage of the old woman’s trust. He had purchased a boat, and car using funds from her account.
Sylvia, Lorita’s daughter was on the stand being cross examined. All afternoon, documents were projected that showed expenses and legal documents. The bottom line however was that Loretta had signed over the power of attorney to Dale. Dales son took the stand and a photo was shown of him riding the NYC subways to visit Loretta who also had an apartment there. His testimony implied that the Steele family had been close to Loretta for years. Loretta, who wasn’t in the court room was painted as a generous woman rather than a victim. She had also financed the home that her daughter lived in. Dennis’s cross examination implied that the Steele family had been closer to Loretta than her own family.

Unfortunately courtrooms are not staged like a theater, with lawyers facing the audience. I had to draw Dennis from the back and was worried that once again the family would not approve the sketch. After a solid day of cross examinations it was finally time for closing arguments. When the jury left for a break, the judge, told the lawyers that they had to wrap up the case that night. They each only had 15 minutes to make their closing arguments. Dennis joked that they wanted to wrap things up so that the juror in the Green Bay Packers jersey could get to see the game that night.
Both court officers checked in to see my progress on the sketch. They had never seen a courtroom artist in action. One officer looked just like Hank, the brother in law detective on Breaking Bad. He acknowledged that everyone tells him that. With final arguments complete, the jury was sent home and told to return the next day to deliberate. I left the courtroom feeling unsure of the outcome. Was the elderly Loretta, a victim or a generous person who lavished gifts on the people around her? Dennis’s closing argument was warm and heartfelt. He admitted that he didn’t know why the cash was spent on items that Dale used. However, Loretta trusted him enough to grant him power of attorney over her finances. When I dropped off the sketch, I was told that Dale was acquitted.

The Orlando Amtrack Station

Posted on by Thor

Patrick Greene has been having photographers ride the Sun Rail Trains to take photos of passengers. He arranged for a group to meet and then take the train to the Orlando Amtrak Station near the Florida Hospital South of Downtown. I was running late but wanted to catch the photographers at work, so I went to the final destination. I sketched the station while waiting for the train to arrive. Several trains came and went. Taxis picked up passengers and drove off.

Photos were gathered together for an exhibit at Avalon Gallery as part of the Transit Interpretation Project (TRiP). TRiP is an ongoing project where artists, writers and photographers ride the Orlando transit system and then write blog posts about the experience. I took the Lynx bus downtown from my suburban studio to Avalon for a literary evening based on writers experiences. I didn’t notice my work on the TRiP site, but then a gain I don’t check the site that often.

With the sketch done I was surprised that I hadn’t noticed any photographers around the station. I finally left, a little disappointed that I had missed the creative filed trip. Later Patrick let me know that he wasn’t able to get tickets to the destination I sketched. The group ended up going south away from the Amtrak Station. When I first began Urban Sketching in NYC, it was for a class assignment where I returned to Grand Central Station again and again, doing a sketch each time to document life in the historic station. Train stations therefor are always have a warm place in my heart a great place to sketch.

The Bay Street Players presented Legally Blonde The Musical.

Posted on by Thor

Amanda Warren the director of Legally Blonde The Musical invited me to the historic State Theater to sketch the show. I’ve seen the movie, “Legally Blonde”, but never the musical. The theater is located in Eustis which turned out to be quite an adventurous drive north. The lobby was quite crowded when I arrived. It turned out that the computer system was down and so staff was shuffling through stacks of tickets while patrons waited. Amanda got on stage to introduce the show. I was surprised by the high cost to purchase the rights to stage the show. Thankfully the house was sold out.

The musical was fun and light hearted. Elle played by Meredith Pughe pursued her man, but in the end realized it was more important to pursue her dreams.  The multi level set designed by Tom Mangieri and Scott Fattizzi was quite impressive with an entire wall that could rotate to morph the stage into a courtroom. The upbeat musical direction was by Andy Matchett off stage. Bruiser, Katie Scarlett Baker, the tiny chihuahua seemed like a dear in the headlights while Rufus, Zoe Carpenter, the basset hound stole his scenes by exploring the stage to comic effect.

It is surprisingly easy to be swept away in this valley girl’s rise to self awareness. The music was fun and the show moved along at a fast pace. It was an incredibly ambitious production with over forty actors involved. The show proves that small community theaters are already thriving as the Dr. Phillips Performing Arts Center opens its doors in downtown Orlando for the first time.

Corsets and Cuties add some spice to the holiday season.

Posted on by Thor

I went to a dress rehearsal or should I say, an undress rehearsal for Corsets and Cuties at Danceworks on Curry Ford Road. Snow was blanketing most of the country while the cast gathered outside the dance studio waiting for an aerobics dance class to end. Each dancer clutched her costumes for the night. Exhaling, I could faintly see my breath. One dancer was really under the weather trying to recover from a cold or flu. Three new dancers had joined the cast. One lamented that all her co-workers were planning to go to the show to see her in her birthday suit.

When the class let out, the Cuties stormed the dressing room. Producer and performer Jaimz Dillman acted as the announcer. She explained that the show consisted of some well rehearsed favorites and some new acts that stayed with the holiday season theme. Blue tarps were duck taped over the front windows as the cast changed. A large group number opened the show and then there were a series of solo performances. Many performers sang as well as danced, confirming that there is some major talent in this show. Feathers and baubles flew to the floor along with clothing.

Some acts were laugh out loud funny, like the Junk in a Box routine. Two cuties sat in their 60s styled negligee and they were seduced by two male admirers holding gift boxes at their hips.  When the girls finally got a look inside, their shocked expressions were priceless. Two huge dildos sat nestled inside. Marisa Ashley Quijano acting as one of the men, thrust her box braced hips so hard that the top popped off to hilarious effect. She also later did a “Blue Christmas” number where she shed her white polar fleece jacket to show off her sexy blue lace outfit.

The Corsets and Cuties show on Saturday November 22nd at The Venue (511 Virginia Drive Orlando FL) is SOLD OUT.  Having experienced the fun and craziness of their rehearsals, I can understand why.

AADW Weekend Top 6 Picks for November 22 & 23.

Posted on by Thor

Saturday November 22 2014

10am to 4pm Free. Harvest Festival. Winter Park Central Park West Meadow 150 N New York Avenue Winter Park FL. A one-day
event focused on connecting the grass-roots with the deep-roots of our
local food-shed by celebrating our local farmers, gardeners,
entrepreneurs and non-profits. (321) 236-3316

5pm to 7pm Free. FORMENTO + FORMENTO Artist Talk & Book Signing. Snap! Orlando 1013 E Colonial Dr, Orlando, Fl. an evening artist talk, projection and book signing at Snap! Space with FORMENTO + FORMENTO. Please RSVP (No cover / LIMITED CAPACITY).

Bj Formento is the light. Richeille Formento is the pigment. Weaving cinematic worlds drenched in sensuality, FORMENTO + FORMENTO produce genre-bending photography that is as conceptually rich as it is precisely crafted. Currently on exhibit at Snap! Space, are works from The Japan Diaries. For this series, the Formentos drew their inspiration from 1950’s Japanese cinema, Akira Kurosawa, Araki and Moriyama, as well as Edo woodblock prints and erotic imagery of Ero Guro paintings.

6pm to 11pm Free. Jingle Eve. Ivanhoe Village 1605 Alden Rd, Orlando, Fl. Jingle Eve is a neighborhood-wide holiday celebration
that always occurs the weekend before Thanksgiving. It’s the start of
the holiday season here in Orlando and you don’t want to miss it!
Here is a sneak-peak of the night’s events:
Santa’s workshop
Happy Holiday sign lighting
Christmas tree lighting in Gaston Edwards Park
Holidays specials and samples from local merchants
Wine Stroll
The Food Truck Bazaar
Great local vendors
And more!

Sunday November 23, 2014

10am to 12:30pm $10. Sketch Class. Crealdé School of Art, 600 Saint Andrews Boulevard, Winter Park, FL. Life drawing from a nude model.

Noon to 2pm Free. Florida Gospel Jam. Fish on Fire 7937 Daetwyler Drive Belle Isle FL. Every 2nd and 4th Sunday.

9pm to 11pm Free. Comedy Open Mic. Austin’s Coffee, 929 W Fairbanks Ave, Winter Park, FL. Free comedy show! Come out & laugh, or give it a try yourself.