Howl at the Moon Fundraiser.

Howl at the Moon raised money for In Harmony Nature Animal Haven. Patrons were invited to dress up their dogs for Yappy Hour at Orlando Brewing, (1301 Atlanta Ave, Orlando, FL 32806). Nature Animal Haven is a sanctuary for wolves, wolf dogs, dogs, cats, parrots, reptiles and pigs. They work to find forever homes for animals ready for adoption.

There were folks at the door to explain the event and accept $10 donations. The donation allowed for money off of draft beers. Pam Schwartz brought Sprout her gentleman of a mutt, He wore a green polka dot bow tie for the occasion. His hair was spiked up into a Mohawk for as long as it lasted. There were plenty of dogs in the house, and my favorite costume was the German Shepard in the foreground dressed in a yellow rain jacket with a red balloon. This is of course reminiscent of the beginning of the Stephen King movie, It, where a little boy chases a paper sail boat down a drain, only to have his arm ripped off by a demonic clown. The dog had all his limbs. Another smaller pooch won the costume contest wearing an inflatable power pack from Ghost Busters. His owner had on a similar power pack. They spent all their time at the bar and I didn’t notice them until the end.

There were wolf dogs and dogs everywhere. Sprout had a great time sniffing and meeting all the dogs, though none of them were particularly interested in playing. Dogs in Orlando are so well behaved. There was a silent auction and none of the items had bids yet, so Pam put starting bids on several items. She didn’t end up winning anything. She ordered us a beer sampler with 5 different beers. I liked the German Blonde beer the best.

Once the  sketch was done, we went outside to try Mighty Weenie which was vending Seattle-style hot dogs. What is different about these dogs is that they have thick cream cheese spread inside the buns along with onions. It was a rather bland tasting hot dog to be honest. It needed something other than white bread and cream cheese for flavor so I mounded on the sauerkraut.

The In between Series at Avalon Island Gallery.

I had scheduled an Orlando Drink and Draw (ODD) event at Joysticks bar downtown. However when I got to the bar, I suddenly discovered that they aren’t open on Mondays. Joysticks is right across the street from the Gallery at Avalon Island, and I noticed a crowd gathering. I decided to go inside since I needed to get a sketch regardless.

The In between Series are concerts that happen in between the hanging of shows in the Avalon Island gallery (39 S Magnolia

Orlando,

FL

32801). The evening featured an experimental music performance by Tiger Fawn. She wore Klingon Ears which was a fascinating visual touch. Behind her were hung cotton ball clouds that has violet lights inside. One warm cloud was embraced by a halo. As the sun set, the light in the space grew dimmer and dimmer. The tribal psychedelic electronica  music was mesmerizing and unexpected. Largely instrumental, she also incorporated audio loops of vocalizations rather than lyrics.

I sent out a quick Facebook message letting any artists know that Joy Sticks was closed and that Avalon had a great sketch opportunity. Colin Boyer showed up at the tail end of the show. He does incredible digital illustration and has probably attended more ODD events than anyone. I enjoyed the challenge of capturing the fading light and the music certainly inspired me. I had to run to the airport right after the show, So I didn’t linger.

Chakra Kahn at the Timucua White House.

Chakra Kahn (Alexandra Love) was performing with Beautiful Chorus and special guest Emily Fontano at the Timucua White House, (2000 S Summerlin Ave Orlando, FL 32806). The music had a deep, personal writing style, along with eccentric cadences and lush harmonies. In concert with DiViNCi’s vast, poly-rhythmic, orchestral soundscapes is perfectly matched. Together, their sound is like smooth electricity, an intense, bass-rich, melodic wind. Their newest album, The Cope Aesthetic, which was released June 3, 2017, is a more jazz-inspired, electronic soundscape than anything else the group has created thus far. She explained on stage that she lost her hair at a very early age, and came to realize that how she looks to other does not define who she is.

Amazingly on the evening of the Pulse nightclub tragedy, Chakra Kahn performed a piece titled Pulse at the venue. The lyrics seemed to eerily predict the events that was about to happen. “Their is a Pule and its fading, but we claim we are still alive.”

Elizabeth St. Hilaire was the visual artist working on stage during the performance. Elizabeth usually works with collage but this evening the was painting with acrylics. The painting depicted a female sun bather from perhaps the 1920s. She swayed to the music clearly inspired by the music.

Double Jeopardy: A Double Bill of One-act Operettas.

Producer Theresa Smith-Levin invited me to sketch a Double Jeopardy dress rehearsal. Two one act operettas stood back to back both having a trial theme. The first was The Trial of B.B. Wolf with music by Curtis Tucker and words by Nelson Sheeley. Children’s blocks were on the stage. Part of me thought I was in the wrong place. A giant mushroom tiny house was house left and vines intertwined on house right. The judge in this case was a Leprechaun dressed all in green and with a bright orange beard. Pam Schwartz later explained that the blocks had the letters and colors associated with each character. For instance Little Red Riding hood stood by the red R block and the judge stood by the green J block. Members of the audience were invited to go up on stage to sit on the jury.For this rehearsal only two audience members were picked since there officially was no audience. Nishaa Carson the shows musical director performed on the piano with an iPad for her sheet music.

I was confused by the operetta writer’s motive. Did an adult audience really want to watch a trail build around Grimm’s Fairy-tail characters? The fact that the lyrics were in English was a plus. Of course Stephen Sondheim created the musical Into the Woods, a Broadway musical that was a success, so perhaps it was a viable option. So B. B. Wolf is as it turns out, an actual wolf (Bryan Hayes) in a grey suit and furry skull cap with wolf ears. He was on trial for destroying the three little pigs homes. A chubby little pig (Christina Rivera) took the stand and was interrogated about the incident. She shook in her boots letting out the occasional oink and squeal. Her testimony was overshadowed by the ferocious wolfs stage presence.

The wolf was indited in a second case involving Little Red Riding Hood (Katherine Stenzel). She related the usual tail of gong to her grandmothers house with the unexpected twist that she is an expert in martial arts. When the wolf took of his grandmother disguise, she karate kicked  his sorry butt and brought him in for trial. I am glad I chose to sketch this first operetta since it was visually interesting.

The second Operetta, Trail by Jury was by W.S Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan. Sarah Tellier took over at the piano. The set was transformed into a more traditional courtroom. This was a case of a man, the defendant, (Bryan Hayes) not wanting to marry his voluptuous fiance, the plaintiff, (Christina Rivera) and she brought him to trial to try and force his hand. Some of the language contain references that are unknown to a contemporary audience. For instance that defendant sang, “Be firm, my pecker.” Pecker used to be slang for courage, and in the case of a bird, it’s beak, in other words, “Keep a stiff upper lip.” Even knowing this before hand it was hard to resist a juvenile giggle.

During this performance I was focused on finishing my sketch from the previous operetta so my attention was divided. The defendant was in love with another woman and if forced to marry his fiance he would quickly then marry another. With characters singing over on another and the staging changing so quickly I honesty got a bit lost trying to follow the inn working of the case. I would have made a horrible juror.

Double Jeopardy

CFCArts Black Box Theater 250 SW Ivanhoe Blvd Orlando FL

Tickets: $25 reserved seating, $18 General seating and $16 Student / Seniors

Remaining show dates:

Thursday  November 16, 2017  at 7:30 PM

Friday       November 17, 2017  at 7:30 PM

Saturday   November 18, 2017  at 7:30 PM

Sunday     November 19, 2017  at 3:00 PM

Art in Odd Places.

Around 2:30 PM on Friday November 10, 2017 Performance Artist Brian Feldman began playing drums in front of the Orange County City Hall on Orange Avenue in Downtown Orlando. The invite claimed the location to be 300 Lincoln Plaza which is a parking garage and corporate offices. However, Brian was in a much better location across South Street in front of City Call. Drum Schtick was his contribution to Noise: A Visual and Performance Public Art Festival in Downtown Orlando. Brian has never performed on drums in his life, but he will be banging away for 50 hours, the full duration of the Art in Odd Places Festival. Drum Schtick is going to be his longest performance piece to date and he confided to me that it will be his hardest.

When I arrived Brian and his dad Edward were rolling up the side panels to the tent which were billowing like sails. The fellow Brian rented the drum set from was there to offer a few tips until Brian got started and then he wandered off. Online Brian set up a volunteer sign up sheet so people could be at the location with him so he would remain safe, Over the course of the 50 hours he will have to sleep on the drum set in the evening. His dad set up an iPhone which was live streaming the performance. I signed up for a two hour window to sketch but Brian suggested I sketch the very beginning since he might get shut down by police. As of this writing, he is still at it.

During the initial hours, three dancers began to perform inspirational dance to Brian’s beats. Rebekah Lane wore a walkie talkie on her lapel Emma Cotter a choreographer from Brooklyn NY was on the sidelines offering arrive on what dance movements they should perform next. I was impressed they did n amazing job performing with Brian’s first beats. I have to wonder if Brian will become a virtuoso in 50 hours or will he degrade into loosing all sense of rhythm.

Brian should be finishing his performance around 4:30 PM on Sunday November 12, 2017. Be sure to catch his performance before that time.

Orphans at Theater on the Edge.

Orphans written by Lyle Kessler is being presented by the artistic production team at Theater on the Edge (5542 Hansel Ave, Orlando, FL 32809). I am a huge fan of their hyper realistic set designs by the amazing Samantha DiGeorge. The attention to period detail allows me to get lost in that particular place and time. The plays presented in this intimate space highlight an American aesthetic of brutality and unfulfilled dreams. Orphans is set in 1989  in  a two story rundown Philadelphia row house. During the pre show, Philip (Adam Minossa) was mashing cereal in his breakfast bowl and then sat to watch a TV game show. He lived his innocent preoccupied life in the home as the audience filled in. He settled in on the couch to watch TV while hugging a red woman’s high heal shoe. When he sees his brother Trent (Zack Roundy) approaching, through the window, he rushed to clean up  the place and then hid in the closet.

Trent is a terror. He has returned to show off his earnings form the mornings robberies. He likes to taunt his simple brother and a game of tag became a power struggle between the siblings. The red high heal shoe becomes another point of contention and Trent throws it out the window on the front lawn. A painful head lock is the only sign of affection between the two.

On another occasion, Trent returns to the house with a drunk business man. When the man passes out on  the floor, Trent takes his brief case and forces it open on the kitchen table with his knife. Inside are piles of stocks and bonds. Kidnapping this man would clearly be extremely profitable. While out looking to cash the stocks and calling people for the ransom, he leaves his brother to watch the now tied up business man. The ropes are sloppily tied and loose so, Harold, the business man (Allan Whitehead) gets free. He doesn’t try to escape however and goes up stairs to clean up.

Trent isn’t pleased when he returns and there is a power struggle between Trent and Harold. Harold doesn’t play the part of a victim but instead says he likes Trent’s anger and could use hims as a body guard.  Harold grew up as an orphan and he sees a bit of himself in Trent’s deviant behavior. He becomes a father figure to both the boys offering support and affection the boys clearly lacked probably after their parents deaths. He builds Philip’s confidence to the point where the boy is able to venture out into the world alone.

The end of the second act ended with gut wrenching results. When the house lights came back up, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house. Someone said, there should be a warning before the show begins. All three actors did an amazing job exploring their characters and their underlying motives. The intricate relationships left me wishing there was more time to see what happened next. On the car ride home with Pam Schwartz, I was full of questions. I had a an affection for the characters and couldn’t let go. Perhaps that is a sign of great theater. This show got under my skin exposing regrets and the need for acceptance that seems never realized. I highly recommend this production.

Orphans

Theater on the Edge 5542 Hansel Ave, Orlando, FL 32809

Tickets: $22 to $26

Remaining Show Dates:

Saturday November 11, 2017      8 PM

Sunday November 12, 2017        2 PM

Wednesday November 15, 2017  8 PM

Saturday November 18, 2017      8 PM

Sunday November 19, 2017        2 PM

Friday November 24, 2017          8 PM

Saturday November 25, 2017      2 PM

Saturday November 25, 2017      8 PM

Sunday November 26, 2017        2 PM

Weekend Top 6 Picks for November 11th and 12th 2017.

Saturday November 11, 2017

10 AM to 1 PM. Free. Circling the World in a 24hr Sketch Walk! Disney Springs 1780 E Buena Vista Dr, Lake Buena Vista, Florida 32830 Planet Hollywood and Coca Cola buildings. Nearly 80 Urban Sketchers chapters around the globe will hold
sketch walks in their cities and towns to celebrate Urban Sketchers 10yrs
anniversary, showcasing sketches from their cities and towns.
Orlando’s Urban Sketchers group is one of them!

 Using social media Instagram network all sketch walks will be followed
starting with the first chapter to see daylight (Auckland, New Zealand)
to the last chapter to see the sunset (O’ahu, USA).
Photos and videos from each chapter will be shared throughout the day.

Where is Orlando in all of this? We are in an awesome place in the middle! With the world’s eyes on us here in Central Florida, we will be showcasing in sketches one of our unique and iconic locations.

The renovated Downtown Disney, now called Disney’s Springs, and the newly added section provide plenty of sketch opportunities. Take a pride in our Central Florida community! Come join us!

2 PM November 10, 2017 to 4 PM November 12, 2017. Free. Sidewalk in front of Lincoln Plaza in Downtown Orlando (300 S. Orange
Avenue). Drum Schtick. As part of Noise, an Art in Odd places production, award-winning D.C. based
performance artist Brian Feldman will embark on his longest project
to date.

For 50 consecutive hours, Brian will remain at a drum kit. Brian has been trying to realize this project since 2007.

Brian is seeking up to 50 volunteers (one hour shifts) to help ensure (1) his safety, (2) the continuity of the live stream (periscope.tv/BrianFeldman),
and (3) answers to attendee questions (to the best of your ability), as
he won’t be speaking during this project. Go to Sign Up Genius if you want to help. Earplugs are provided!

Noon to 4 PM through November 19, 2017. $15 Festival of Trees: The Gift of the Holidays. Orlando Museum of Art (2416 North Mills Ave. Orlando, FL 32803) The Festival of Trees, now in its thirty-first year, transforms the
Orlando Museum of Art into a glittering wonderland filled with sparkling
trees, vignettes and stunning décor for visitors of all ages.

The Orlando Museum of Art will showcase designer Christmas trees of all
sizes, holiday vignettes, custom hand designed wreaths and table décor, a
gingerbread village, tabletop displays and more. Each piece is designed
by Orlando’s finest designers and is available for purchase.

A glamorous gala night will mark the start of the 9-day event.

The
Festival continues with musical performances, fun family entertainment
and delightful programs for all ages throughout the week at the museum.

View the museum calendar to see all of the related Festival events. Festival of
Trees is presented by Council of 101, a non-profit organization. All
proceeds benefit the Orlando Museum of Art.

For more information, please contact the Council of 101 at (407) 896-4231,
ext. 254 or by email at councilof101@omart.org.

Sunday November 12, 2017 

11 AM to 5 PM. Free. Pagans in the Park. Mead Botanical Garden 1300 S Denning Dr, Winter Park, Florida 32789. A day of connecting, workshops, readers and vendors at
Mead Gardens, Winter Park FL. Please bring a pot luck item to share!

1 PM to 5 PM Free. Family Day on the Second Sunday. The Mennello Museum of American Art, 900 East Princeton Street, Orlando, FL 32803. The make-and-take craft table is open from noon-2:30 p.m., and docents are available to give mini-tours of the museum. Then it’s open house in the galleries until 4:30 p.m.

Noon to 1 PM Donation based. Yoga. Lake Eola Park near the red gazebo. Bring your own mat.

2 PM to 4 PM Free but get a drink. Kelly DeWayne Richards Pop Up Piano Bar. 1212 Country club Oaks Circle 32804.

The Orlando Weekly Best of Orlando Party.

This year I was nominated as the Best Artist of Orlando. Andrew Spear won first place, and Boy Kong took second place. They both certainly deserve the recognition. I came in third place but just being nominated meant I could sketch the Orlando Weekly Best of Party at The Beacham (46 N Orange Ave, Orlando, FL 32801). The party of the year is a celebration for winners of Orlando’s
most prestigious awards, Orlando Weekly’s Best of Orlando. It’s a free
party for 2000 taste maker VIP’s: Best of Orlando Winners, Orlando Weekly
clients, select readers, artists, politicians and media.
This is always a blowout event that gets super crowded. Pam Schwartz and I arrived somewhat early and as I sketched the venue filled up to capacity. Only when people left, would more people be allowed to enter.

There were two entrances to the event, a “Winners” entrance at The Beacham, and a general admission entrance at 64 North. A series of bars were interconnected, including The Social, Aero, and The Patio. Different things were happening at all the bars. Lasers and spotlights created a two point perspective grid over the crowd. I sketched the grid and then took it back out feeling it hid too much of the crowd detail. When the live performance started confetti was shot over the crowd. I like to watch the hectic action at the two island bars as the bartenders are swamped by orders for free drinks. Working digitally meant I could catch the amazing lighting of the scene.

With the sketch done, we agreed that we had seen enough. We didn’t venture into the other crowded bars.

Red Black and Ignorant at Valencia College.

Red Black and Ignorant written by Edward Bond is the first installment of a war trilogy. The play introduces Monster, (Daniel Cooksley) an inhuman being who presents the life that he did
not get to live because he was aborted and burnt to death in the nuclear global bombings. Killed within his mother’s womb, the play reveals the
world which would have awaited the unborn child: a post-apocalyptic
society of destruction and war.

The venue was a small circular area with cement benches. The cast uses the benches and the walkway leading to the site. The audience will be seated outside the circle. One cast member saw an animal move in the distance. She said it was the size of a raccoon but might be a possum. All the flashlights surveyed the edge of the woods. The wildlife watched the play unfold from a safe distance.

Daniel is the actor who played my part in O-Town: Voices from Orlando written and directed by David Lee. We hugged warmly as we waited for the rest of the cast to arrive. Jeremy Seghers is directing Red Black and Ignorant. He has a keen eye for staging plays in unexpected venues. He arrived carrying a pile of military clothing. He also had make up for Daniel. Daniel had to to wear colored contacts and black charred makeup. At the start of the play, the entire cast shined flashlights on Daniel while chanting an ominous hum. Daniel crawled up out of an imaginary pile or rubble. Jeremy explained that the set piece is almost done.

The mother of the monster (Blaise Terese Vance) delivered a moving monologue while her wispy frame was being lifted on the shoulders of the monster. She illuminated her own face from below with her flashlight. An imagined lover of the monster (Alyssa Zabel) spoke of what he might have become and seemed oblivious to his twisted self. The son of the Monster (Sean Kemp) found a woman (Anissa Hernandez) trapped under rubble. She screams for help but he realizes that her job would open up were she to perish. He feigns to help but leaves saying he would find help. His father comes across his son as he is debating the woman’s fate. The father takes control of the situation and saves her. While chastising his son. The best position the son manages to find is in the military. He embraces the role. His position gives him a place of power over the monster. This father son relationship was destined to be tragic.

This play explores issues of conformity, social morality, and ongoing
conflict between the individual and society, giving the story a terrifyingly
relevant and timeless tone.

Being an immersive, site-specific work, this is an outdoor show held in
a natural environment. I was advised to bring bug spray which was helpful.  The audience is advised to check in at the box office for a short,
escorted walk to the site. Walking shoes are advised.  Late seating cannot be accommodated.  It is advised to arrive 30 minutes prior to show time. This production will not have an intermission.

What:  Red Black and Ignorant.

Where:  Valencia East Campus
701 N Econlockhatchee Trail, Orlando, FL

 Show dates:

Thursday, November 9, 2017   7:30pm

to 8:45pm

Friday, November 10, 2017      7:30pm

to 8:45pm

Saturday, November 11, 2017  7:30pm

to 8:45pm

Sunday, November 12, 2017    7:30pm

to 8:45pm

Monday, November 13, 2017   7:30pm

to 8:45pm

Tickets: $12 General Ticketing; $10 Valencia students/staff/alumni and seniors.

Contact Name: Valencia College Box Office

Contact Email:  boxoffice@valenciacollege.edu/arts

Contact Phone: (407) 582-2900

The Hound of the Baskervillesat at Shakes.

The Hound of the Baskerrvilles, written by Sir Conan Doyle was adapted for the stage by Steven Canny and John Nicholson. The 19 parts are played by just three actors. Steven Lane played Sherlock Holmes and I grew anxious since he didn’t play the part of Sherlock very often. This hilarious  production at times involved the actors breaking character and talking to the audience one on one. They poked jabs at each other for the past productions they had done. Dr. John Watson, (Simon Needham) was a natural at the British accent since he comes form England. The other actors joked that he is taking good paying actors work from American actors. Chris Crawford played Sir Henry Baskerville among other roles. The production involved many very quick costume changes.

After the first act there was an intermission and the second act began with Steven Lane reading a note form an audience member in the center section. It stated that his acting was lackluster and sluggish. The response was for the cast to re-act the entire first act at an insanely accelerated pace. This time costumes were often only half assembled as the actors ran around the stage to hit their marks. This was hilarious and impressive at the same time.

The Baskerville family suffered from a curse that began when a young woman was imprisoned at their Devonshire estate. A huge and vicious hound then attacked the guilty abductor. Since that date the family carried the curse. Each generation would suffer from the attack of a devilish red eyed  hound. The recent death of a Sir Charles Baskerville rekindled the story of the cure and brought in Holmes and Watson on the case. Holmes was busy but sent Watson to the estate to investigate.

There is an escaped convict on the moor and mysterious candle messaged sent at night. Sherlock takes multiple disguises to watch the activity of the state from afar. His several attempts to reveal himself to Watson, are hilarious since Watson is blinded by theater blindness that allows for a costume change to be an absolute disguise.  Myth and mystery eventually give way to thought and reason and the suspect is discovered.

We were seated in the back row of house left which was a great vantage point when the actors left the stage and wandered into the audience. I almost tripped an actor as he rushed out the fire escape door setting off the alarm. I highly recommend the show for a light hearted evening of theater.

The Hound of the Baskervilles.

Orlando Shakespeare Theater, The Goldman

812 E Rollins St, Orlando, FL 32803

Tickets are $13 to $50.

Remaining show dates:

Wednesday, November 8, 2017 – 2:00 PM

Wednesday, November 8, 2017 – 7:30 PM

Sold out! There are no tickets available.

Thursday, November 9, 2017 – 7:30 PM

Friday, November 10, 2017 – 7:30 PM

Saturday, November 11, 2017 – 7:30 PM

Sunday, November 12, 2017 – 2:00 PM

Sunday, November 12, 2017 – 7:30 PM

Tuesday, November 14, 2017 – 7:30 PM

Thursday, November 16, 2017 – 7:30 PM

Friday, November 17, 2017 – 7:30 PM

Saturday, November 18, 2017 – 7:30 PM

Sunday, November 19, 2017 – 2:00 PM

Sunday, November 19, 2017 – 7:30 PM