903 Mills Market Cafe

Posted on by Thor

I met Andy Matchett at 903 Mills Market Cafe (903 S Mills Ave, Orlando, FL 32806). We sat outside and had a long conversation. The food was fresh and delicious so we lingered over lunch. My life was in transition, and he was glad to offer advice. We traded war stories and compared wounds. Being able to share me experiences with a friend, helped me set my resolve as my life changed and unfolded moving forward. 

Is Mills Market a Cafe, or a Deli? Now that I’m working on a book about Cafe drawings, I plan to return and sketch in side, to find out. The place has an Earthy vibe with large fresh wraps.

Twisted Tuesday at the Red Lion Pub.

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Twisted Tuesday is a weekly event every Tuesday held at the Red Lion Pub (3784 Howell Branch Rd, Winter Park, Florida). It features a free home-cooked meal every Tuesday but of course donations are greatly appreciated. Rahoe Productions and Representation provides Live Music from 7:30pm-10:30pm every Tuesday and the Red Lion Pub provides a DJ thereafter alongside a friendly environment to showcase talents such as hula-hooping, fire-arts, LED-arts, juggling, stilt-walking and much more.

I went to the Red Lion Pub in December to meet Andy Matchett who wanted to buy a print for the holidays. He was at the end of the bar when I arrived. He had pulled together a successful Kickstarter to create vinyl albums of the soundtrack to his very successful Fringe play, The Key of E. He wrote all the music for this apocalyptic rock musical. All though there was enough money raised to cut the albums, he still needs more money for the packaging.

When Andy left, I took his bar stool and sketched down the length of the bar. There was free food by the front windows, but unfortunately I had already eaten. I ordered a beer from the tap that looked like a fish. Rosmarie Ryan the pub’s owner looked over my shoulder and rather liked the sketch. She offered me another beer which I gladly accepted from her daughter, Mikayla, working the taps. The place gradually got more crowded as the evening progressed.

Outside, someone was playing an old upright piano with its innards exposed. Vendors had blankets set up to sell crystals and some local art. I chatted with a fellow that called himself, Dali Lama, about art for a while. I want to return here some Twisted Tuesday to sketch the fire spinners and hula hoopers in the parking lot. I need to arrive later which is when these activities heat up. There is a warm inviting atmosphere to the pub, like these people get to reunite every Tuesday.

When I got home, Terry told me to take off my clothes and take a shower. I’m lucky in that I have a weak sense of smell, but apparently I reeked of cigarette smoke. Even my skin sponged up the smell.  Next time I sketch at Twisted Tuesdays, I’ll spend far more time outside where there is plenty of vibrant local culture and a breeze.

Janice Joplin brings her amazing voice to the Fringe.

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Andy Matchett the show’s author and director invited me to a dress rehearsal for Janice Joplin, Little Girl BIue starring Kaleigh Baker.  The rehearsal was in Castle Door Recording Studio on Kentucky Avenue in Winter Park. This was the perfect setting for this show. From the moment I entered the recording studio, I felt like I had stepped back into the 60s.

 As I approached the sound studio on foot, I saw costume designer Sara Grey struggling to push a tall rack of 60’s outfits towards the entrance. The wheels caught on every bump in the pavement causing her to have to pause every few feet to lift the rack up. Because of her I knew I was in the right place. I helped her get the costumes through the door. It turns out that Kaleigh and a band member had to perform at the Fringe opening ceremonies that night, so that gave Sara an hour to hand out costumes and make any adjustments. When Andy arrived, he offered me a Yuengling  before the rehearsal started and I felt the
thrill of being in a recording studio with so much raw talent. I had
sketched Kaleigh Baker before at smokey dives like Tanquerey’s downtown and I knew that she is the one person who could sing like Janice.

The show presents an in-depth and passionate
look at the life, music and untimely death of one of Music’s greatest
icons: Janis Joplin. Baker swells in volume as she moves from a solo
rendition of “What Good Can Drinkin Do?” to an explosive 8 piece band
backing her on hits like “Peace of My Heart” and “Get It While You Can“. Laura Joplin (Amanda Warren) sat and spoke about her sister Janice. She painted a picture of Janice as a child that never fit in who was bullied and harassed by fellow students. There was a hint of envy in her words and I loved that Janice had overcome her past and her music helped her soar.

The scene that I saw rehearsed several times involved Jimmy Hendrix (Pascal Sacleux) taking the place of one of the guitarists on stage (Jeff Nolan).  In shock the guitarist walks off stage. The following instrumental performance blew the roof off. Hendrix exuded confidence and he made love to Janice with his guitar with wild abandon. By the end of the performance he lay the guitar on the ground and caressed its strings like an out of control lover. After one performance in which Janice sang her heart out, a band member shouted out “I don’t know what that was, but it was out of control!” “Damn right!” I thought. “That was absolute wild magic!” I thought the scene had ended and I laughed and shouted in delight. The scene hadn’t ended I had forgotten this was a rehearsal. For a moment I was in the studio with the real Janice Joplin and I wanted her to burn bright. I loved how she could let go.

Magic happened in the studio that night. Janice Joplin will blow your mind at this year’s Fringe Festival.

Venue: Gold (in the Orlando Museum of Art)

Length: 60 minutes

Rating: 18 and up 

Remaining shows:

May 19  8:15pm to 9:15pm

May 22  10:00pm to 11:00pm

May 23  10:00pm to 11:00pm

May 24  4:20pm to 5:20pm

Tickets: $11 (+service. Charge)

Hank Williams comes to life in “Lost Highway”.

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Andy Matchett left me a message to let me know tech rehearsals were in progress for Hank Williams “Lost Highway at the Sonnentag Theatre at the Icehouse in Mount Dora. Andy stars in the show as Hank Williams. The show opened with Hank’s mom sitting in a rocking chair on her porch reminiscing about her son’s childhood. He was a mamma’s boy. Opposite her on stage, a blues man sang a soulful tune. Hank went to this singer and played an early song he wrote about a UPA worker who was disgruntled. Hanks mentor asked, “Did you ever work for the UPA?” “No” said Hank. “Well, why you singing about someone Else’s problems?” “You have to use your own experiences.” Hank took the words to heart and is songs blossomed,

Hanks wife was an interesting character. She recognized his talents and helped promote him. Then she decided she needed to step into the spot light and sing. The trouble is, she was tone deaf. I grimaced when I first heard her and thought, how did they cast such an awful singer? But the actress probably had to rehearse many times to hit those notes.  Hank let her sing beside him and even write a few bad songs. But his talents would drown her out until she would stomp off stage in a huff. His earnings he would hand over to her and he would never see a dime. He loved her dearly but also wanted to kill her at times. The attention she craved, she found in the arms of other men and eventually she left hank.

Hank Williams flame burned bright and he achieved all his success in his 20s. But he turned to drink and even performed drunk sometimes. He had a mean streak when drunk and his band mates just had to put up with it. A truck stop waitress tended her bar for much of the show. She acted as the narrator, explaining Hanks influence on the people of Alabama and the whole country. As Hank performed she would be bobbing her head or sweeping the floors to the sway and beat of his songs. Her love and appreciation of the music was contagious. She dreamed of one day escaping the waitressing and driving off in a fancy car. That dream came true when a drunk Hank Williams entered her cafe. She left with him that night and drove his Cadillac while they howled at the moon. Instead of being a romantic interlude however, he passed out. She stayed with him until morning but that was their only night together.

While being driven between gigs, Hank passed out in the back seat of his car. The driver thought he was sleeping, but he had died at the tender age of 29. There was enough alcohol and drugs in him to pickle the man, but the coroner politely wrote it off as a heart attack. The band released several albums after Hanks death and those sad songs were more popular than ever. It is as if people need a performer’s sadness to feed off of even after death.

Hank Williams “Lost Highway” written by Randal Myler and Mark Harelik Directed by Darlin Barry runs from March 20 to April 12, 2015 at the Sonnentag Theatre in the Icehouse 1101 North Unser Street Mount Dora FL.

Tickets:

$20 All Adults (Fri- Sun)

$18 All Adults (Thursdays)

$17 Groups (15 or more)

$15 (age 18+ with student ID)

$10 (ages 5 – 17)

Showtimes:

Thursdays: 7:30 PM

Showtimes:

Fridays: 8:00 PM
Saturdays: 2:00 PM or 8:00 PM

Sundays:   2:00 PM

Call for Saturday show times

The Bay Street Players presented Legally Blonde The Musical.

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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.

The Buddy Holly Story in Winter Haven

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Magically, Buddy Holly seems to return to the stage in Winter Haven Florida every year. He has performed live in 2012 and 2013. This year Andy Matchett is playing Buddy. I’ve seen him perform as Buddy Holly before and it seems a roll he was destined to perform. The drive down to Winter Haven turned out to be more of an adventure than I had bargained for. My GPS showed multiple accidents on I-4 so I took back roads all the way south through Kissimmee. It poured on the whole trip south. lightning flashed brilliantly etching shadowed scars in my retinas. It seemed like everyone knew this back route because the traffic on the country road slowed to a crawl. A trip that the GPS predicted would be an hour became two and a half hours.

I was actually quite impressed by Theatre Winter Haven (210 Cypress Gardens Blvd, Winter Haven, Fl) when I arrived. Although the facade was a sterile cinder block wall, the interior was spacious and there was room in the wings for some impressive set changes. I also liked that an art gallery was part of the theater complex. Art on display in the lobby showed that there were some skilled draftsmen in the town.

The show is Co-Produced by Dr. and Mrs. Robert Cassell and Marilyn Riggs. Over 50 years ago, the man who changed the face of popular music
tragically died in a plane crash at age 22. The Buddy Holly
Story tells the story of the three years in which he became the world’s
top recording artist with a show that features over 20 of Buddy Holly’s
greatest hits including ‘Peggy Sue’, ‘That’ll Be The Day’, ‘Oh
Boy’,‘Everyday’, ‘Not Fade Away’, ‘Rave On‘ and ‘Raining In My Heart’.

Buddy Holly was someone who passionately knew what he wanted in his music and life. He met Maria Elena (Hannah Corlew) because she worked as a secretary at his recording label. From the moment he met her, he knew he would marry her. Five days later, he did. He truly lived like every day might be his last. Rehearsals and recording sessions were at times playful and exhausting as he strived for the perfect sound. His band, The Crickets (Marcus Brixa, Kemp Brinson and Josh McNair) grew disgruntled with the endless retakes.

The end of the show featured a high energy concert with Buddy, Richie Valens (Alex La Torre) who had some amazing hip moves, and The Big Bopper (Tom Mesrobian).  The entire ensemble was onstage for this high energy concert. It was a winter concert and there was a blizzard outside. After the concert these three performers would board a plane which was destined to crash. The music came to an abrupt end and a lone microphone stood in a spotlight. After the show, the director had notes for the cast. He said, “We have a good show, it was a good rehearsal, some things need to be gelled, touched and massaged.”


Driving home, the music was still echoing in my head. I drove past ancient MacDonald’s arches and then  neon restaurant signs that hearkened back to the 50s. There was nothing to remind me of the present. I was driving through the twilight year of 1959. Then the black country road erased all visual clues. The road curved and grass blurred past my windows in the headlight’s gleam. I had to trust that I could navigate each unknown curve at 50 miles per hour. It would be so easy to slip of this thin thread into the void.

The Buddy Holly Story runs from July 18 through August 3rd. Tickets: $24 Adults, $21 Students

Spring Fiesta in the Park

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The Spring Fiesta in the Park on April 5th, featured 600 or so Artists and Crafters from all over the United States displaying and selling original works in outdoor tents around Lake Eola Park. There was plenty of outdoor fun and family activities at the largest arts and crafts festival in Orlando. There was also live entertainment and a kids’ area. After walking through much of the festival with Terry, she suggested I get a sketch done.

While shopping, Terry and I bumped into Andy Matchett, his friend Amanda Warren and their children. There is plenty to keep the kids occupied and active at this festival. Amanda let me know what Fringe show she was working on. I’m always looking for inside information about what creative work is happening in the arts scene in Orlando. Andy is now doing the musical direction for Legally Blonde at the Bay Street Theater, 109 N Bay St, Eustis, Fl. The show starts June 27th at 8pm.

This Richard Petty race car was located on the edge of the kids area. Occasionally people were encouraged to climb into the car for a photo opportunity. Getting into the car involved climbing through the oped driver’s door window. The Richard Petty driving experience is located at Disney World giving the average tourist a taste of what it is like to drive on a race track. That is something I’d like to sketch and experience someday. The experience is expensive however.

The Rookie Experience: $449 – $549
(8 laps of driving)

King’s Experience: $849 – $1,299
(18 laps of driving)

Experience of a Lifetime: $1,299 – $2,199
(30 laps of driving)

This was a very quick sketch and when it was done, Terry and I went out for tacos before heading home.

Maxine’s on Shine

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I went to Maxine’s on Shine (337 Shine Avenue Orlando FL) of February 8th, to listen to Roger Docking on Guitar. Maxine’s is a local gem and is booked solid on weekends so reservations are strongly suggested. Since I was on my own, I found a spot 2t the bar. Maxine was at a fundraiser for the Ballet, but her husband greeted everyone warmly. I ordered an Orange Blossom beer and started sketching. For dinner I ordered the lasagna which was quite delectable.

Roger Docking recognized me. I had sketched him in the past because he was once a member of Andy Matchett and the Minx. That band performed together one last time several months ago at the cardboard art festival.  Andy explained to me that Minx was the last name of his former wife so the bands name was a bit archaic. They also used to use tons of confetti and toilet paper in their performances. Clean up after a show would be a nightmare. At a preview of my retrospective, Suzannah Gilman was talking about her recent experience watching Sting and Paul Simon in concert at the Amway Center. She had seats in the second row only a few feet from the stage. “Sting had to be the sexiest man I’ve ever seen.” She said. She pointed out how well defined his arm muscles were and his pants showed off the muscles in his legs. She then demonstrated a subtle hip gyration Sting used in the performance. It wasn’t a thrust, but more of a gentle grind. Andy practiced the move himself and I suspect it will find it’s way into his next performance.

Another performer Joe Lamy, and his daughter came in half way into the first set. He sang harmony, following Roger’s lead. I find that there is often a theme to my sketches. I pay attention to artists who are often unrecognized and perform as background ambiance. I think I identify with the artists who create beauty even if no one is listening.

My lasagna and drinks came to $28.71 and it was well worth it. The bill was enclosed in a book with a picture of the Mona Lisa on the cover. The title of the book was, “Stress, The Good and the Bad, Guilt Free Tension Control.” Sketching is my tension control but also a constant source of stress. I should have read a chapter. Perhaps it was a sign.

Key of E Load In

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 On August 20th, I went to The Venue to see the Key of E load in for their one week run. I got there about the same time as Helen, the tech for the show. As I sketched the empty stage, Andy Matchett pulled up to the theater with a truck full of set pieces, wood, monster parts and fabric. The garage door was opened on house right and several guys in the truck helped unload. One of them was wearing a boy scout uniform and I wondered if he would earn an apocalyptic merit badge. Soon the stage was cluttered.

Since there needed to be room for the band, a platform was constructed house right that essentially extended the stage. The first order of business was to hang huge black curtains on both sides of the stage to create very small wings where actors could not be seen when off stage. The tiny wall at the back of the stage was at a quirky angle because it sloped along with a wheel chair ramp that had to be installed to comply with city codes.

A large back lit screen had to be put on top off the wall, so a plank and two by fours were needed to level off the TV platform. Chaz Krivan and Evan Miga tackled the task. Chaz actually had an iPhone app that acted as a level. All the actors gradually trickled in and Brittany Wine, the stage manager, got them busy running lines and going over dance moves. Her task was to keep everyone on task so they could do a run through of the show at 8:30pm. Corey Volence was worried that some scenes would need to be re-blocked since there was no actual backstage where actors could go when not on the stage. There are close to a dozen actors if you count the band and special effects crew. Andy decided to run one exit scene where all the actors needed to get off stage. There was a major bottle neck as actors tried to get down the wheel chair ramp. They realized that at times some actors would literally need to exit the theater. It will all work out in the end. Christie Miga asked Andy how he would rate his anxiety level. He said it had leveled off at a solid 7.

Brittany Wine was pleased that she finally appeared in one of my sketches. She asked why I put her in a garbage can. The garbage can must be a stage prop and it was just chance that she stood behind it. As I finished my sketch, the cast was ready to do a run through of the show. As I left, I heard Andy begin to sing “I Just Can’t Wait for the Game to End!” The Key of E Kickstarter fundraising drive was a success so the full cast soundtrack is available!

Get your tickets for the return of the show at The Venue (511 Virginia Drive, Orlando, FL). Mark Your Calendar! You don’t want to miss the end of the world. Show times are…

Friday: 8/23 8 PM

Saturday: 8/24 8 PM

Monday: 8/26 8 PM

Thursday: 8/29 8 PM

Friday: 8/30 8 PM

Tickets are $10 pre-sale, and $15 at the door.

Key of E Rehearsal

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The cast of Key of E was still hard at work recording the sound track in the secret lab. With just two mics, they often had to share a mic and then step aside so another actor could step close. Amanda Warren offered to take off her high heels so she and Marisa Ashley could be about the same height. Corey Volence and Joel Warren shared the other mic with Andy Matchett and Chaz Krivan stepping in as needed. Toward the end of the recording session, the band, comprised of Minks members Abraham Couch, Brandon Kalber and Randy Coole, began to load in all their equipment. A symbol clashed to the floor. Andy turned and said, “Real nice guys”.

Once recording was done for the night, the cast got ready for a full run through of the show. Amanda and Chaz went through some dance moves together. She improvised a new move and they agreed that it worked great. Corey’s character, Ethan dreams of the end of the world so he can start his life over as a macho Mad Max road warrior or gun slinging survivalist. His girlfriend played by Marisa has to drag his sorry ass home from the bar. On the drive home, the world meets it’s watery demise.

The show is funny, heart felt and full of surprises. It was awesome to see it being rehearsed again. The harmonies are richer than ever polishing the gem. The rock music is solid and original. Andy who wrote all the music starts the show off, singing, “I just can’t wait for the world to end!” The mic is then handed off to Corey who takes over the lead roll. Andy only steps in once and a while after that as the all knowing narrator and a scientist.

After the run through, the cast got ready to make a a video promotional for the Key of E Soundtrack Kickstarter campaign. Corey acted as the narrator and the cast quickly threw together fun scenes that jokingly stressed the dire seriousness of the fundraising effort. As of this writing, $946 was raised of the $3000 goal. You could be the person to push campaign past the $1000 mark. Order the Key of E Soundtrack today! The album is done, waiting to be cut onto vinyl and magically digitized onto CD.

As I was sketching, I suddenly found myself smack dab in the middle of the promotional shoot with a camera pointed at me. I went for a subtle under played performance, channeling Al Pacino in that Italian restaurant scene in “The Godfather.” NOT! No, I went for flummoxed because I was flummoxed. I will certainly not be getting an Oscar for that cameo. It was fun to play along with such an amazing cast for a moment.

After you order the soundtrack off Kickstarter, then get your tickets for the return of the show at The Venue (511 Virginia Drive, Orlando, FL). So, Mark Your Calendar! You don’t want to miss the end of the world. Show times are…

Friday: 8/23 8 PM
Saturday: 8/24 8 PM
Monday: 8/26 8 PM
Thursday: 8/29 8 PM
Friday: 8/30 8 PM

Tickets are $10 pre-sale, and $15 at the door.