The Round Building’s brise-soleil was carefully preserved.

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On September 18th, I went down to the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts construction site to watch as the Round Buildings brise-soleil was removed. The round building was designed in 1963 by Orlando architects Bob Murphy and Frank Sheehy. The design was an exciting futuristic change from the usual cement and stucco monoliths that litter downtown. It sort of reminds me of Disney’s Carousel of Progress which first appeared at the 1964 New York World’s Fair.

The precast cement brise-soleil was designed to help shade the windows from the harsh Florida sun. The upper floors were added at a much later date. Commissioner Patty Sheehan was instrumental in the effort to have the unique brise-soleil preserved.  Each individual vertical section had to be reinforced by a steel structure to be sure it didn’t break apart when being transported. They could then be clipped free of the connecting bolts. I sketched for two hours and only one section was carefully removed in that time. Each section was then loaded onto a truck and transported to a city storage yard. Ironically the round building looked like it belonged next to the modern design of the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts.

As of January 5th while forty plus same-sex couples got married at City Hall across the street, the round building looked like it had been hit by multiple bunker busting bombs. The cement shell had been removed and the rest of the building was collapsing in on itself. Someone stopped to admire my sketch in progress. He was the son of Jack Jennings, the local contractor who first built the Round Building. He asked to take a photo of my sketch to remember his fathers legacy. Niles M. Schweitzer Fellows held a design competition to find creative ways to reuse the preserved brise-soleil. There were some incredibly creative designs, but there are no funds to make any of them a reality. It is harder to create than to destroy. Who knows how long these cement sentinels will remain hidden in the city’s storage facility. I remains to be seen what the Next Round for these panels will be.

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

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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.

Dr. Phillips House

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On December 13th I went to sketch the Doctor Phillips House built in 1893. It is located at the courtyard at Lake Lucerne, 211 N. Lucerne Circle, Orlando FL, just south of the New Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts downtown. It is dwarfed by the ramps and overpasses of the East West Expressway at the end of a dead end street. It seems out of place, a refuge among the urban sprawl all around it.

Dr. P. Phillips is a Central Florida legend who was a major force in the development of the Orlando area. His past is seasoned with interesting and controversial tales, but whether he was a saint or a tyrant, all agree he made an enormous impact on The City Beautiful.

In 1912 the Dr. Phillips family moved into the Peckham House. The house was remodeled according to the specifications of the Dr.’s wife, Della, by Philadelphia architect L. Percival Hutton. The work included the removal of a two-story porch which was replaced with a large portico on the outside. The interior was modernized with electricity to replace the gas-burning lights. A cellar and two bathrooms were added to the main house, while a carriage house was built for their two sons. This included a second floor ballroom where live entertainment was featured every few weeks. The carriage house and the ballroom were destroyed over the years when local fraternities were housed there.

Dr. and Mrs. Phillips were prominent supporters of the arts in Central Florida. They formed the Mendelssohn Club, a forerunner of The Florida Symphony Orchestra and the mansion was host to many Sunday afternoon musicales for members of the community. These events featured concerts by celebrated musicians from around the world followed by sumptuous buffet suppers, and were Orlando’s main society events at that time.

Today, Dr. Phillips, Inc. and The Dr. Phillips Foundation continue the work which was started nearly a century ago. The profits realized by Dr. Phillips, Inc. are returned to the community by the Dr. Phillips Foundation in the form of gifts and grants to educational, cultural, and charitable organizations ensuring that Central Florida continues to reap the benefits of “Doc’s” work.  A gift from the Dr. Phillips Foundation provided the seed money to turn the old power plant into Lake Ivanhoe into the Dr. Phillips Center for Performing Arts.

League of Women Voters Hot Topics Luncheon

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 The date was 12/12/12 and at 12:12PM the Sorisis Club, 501 E. Livingston, a few blocks east of Orange Avenue in downtown Orlando, was filling up. The room seats about 130 guests. Sara Segal had invited me to sketch the League of Women Voters Hot Topics luncheon. The quaint one story building resembles a church meeting hall. When I arrived, Sarah introduced me to Andrea Kobrin, the Hot Topics Chair. I decided to sit behind Terry, the sound man.

The topic of the day was the state of the Arts in Central Florida. As people ate lunch there were random acts of culture. A singer performed with a piano accompanist. Two women read lines from a play. A large canvas was hung as a backdrop on the stage. It was painted by Nancy Jay in 1996 was titled “Tree, Leaf,  Cell” and it showed a macro and micro view of life. Rene Schneider had artwork on display by middle school and High School students. The students were from abusive families and the program helps build self esteem.

Flora Maria Garcia, Terry Olson and Kathy Ramsberger spoke about challenges, innovation and opportunities for the arts and their organizations. Matt Palm from the Orlando Sentinel moderated. Each speaker had opening remarks. Then there was a panel discussion, followed by questions and answers.  Kathy Ramsberger was asked repeated questions about how the Dr. Phillips Center of the Performing Arts will benefit local performing arts groups. She responded that the Center would charge fair rental fees for it’s use. There is now an uproar because the Center has decided not to use Florida Theatrical Association to book the Broadway shows. That organization has been bringing Broadway shows to the Bob Carr Performing Arts Center for 24 years. The Dr. Phillips Center wants to book the shows themselves saying they will save an estimated $700,000 annually. $75 million dollars still needs to be raised to complete the third phase of construction. The Florida Theatrical Association vowed that they would continue to bring Broadway shows to Orlando. Do people go to shows to experience new architecture or do they go to experience great art?

The Corridor Project – Walk on By

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The Corridor Project’s  first show, titled “Walk on By” was spearheaded by Patrick Greene, the events coordinator at Urban ReThink. Over night almost 100 art installations popped up all over Orlando. The largest concentration of artwork appeared along Mills Avenue in the Mills 50 District. I knew that artists were out between 4AM and 7AM installing their work but I wasn’t sure where the pieces were being installed. I set my alarm for 5AM but swatted it off and fell back to sleep. The next day I decided to sketch this sculpture installation by Bethany Mikell outside Wills Pub (1042 N Mills Ave, Orlando). Painted silver, this modern looking couple is covered in metallic nuts and bolts. The piece exudes fashion with a chic industrial flair. Even the chains holding the couple to the site have an industrial fell.

Walk on By functions as a temporary, clandestine art museum with no fixed location. The works are site specific using empty storefronts and public spaces. In the past, Orlando has promoted public art in the form of decorated fiberglass Gibson Guitars and lizards.  These juvenile displays limit artist expression, forcing the work to be decorative. Even the decorated Mills 50 power boxes seem to lack any bold artistic vision. When public art is needed, as in the case of banners to hide the Dr. Phillips Center of the Performing Arts construction site, children’s art is used. If you have ever gotten a ticket in Orlando then you have been blessed to see the children’s art decorating tiles outside the parking ticket payment office. Walk on By has finally allowed local and international artists the ability to openly express themselves in an urban public setting. Finally the art is meant for a mature, enlightened, adult audience. It isn’t watered down for a Disney, white bread, homogenous, world view. This seems like a bold first step towards a city that can take spontaneous chances.

The art isn’t just for high society gallery gawkers. It is for anyone walking or driving by. Keep your eyes open and be prepared to be surprised. Some art performances happened only at 8:30AM on September 5th while other art pieces will remain on site until they decay. So turn off the cell phone and TV and get out to Walk on By. This gallery has no walls.

Dr. Phillips Center of the Performing Arts Construction

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I went downtown to the construction site of the Dr. Phillips Center of the Performing Arts. My plan was to sketch the children’s art that covers the fencing surrounding the site. As I walked down Magnolia however, I couldn’t resist sketching the Methodist church spire against the dark storm clouds. A building across the street from the church was being demolished to make more room for the Arts center construction.

Dark rust colored beams were beginning to rise from the construction site. The buildings were taking form. A web cam tracks the building’s progress 24/7. Part of me wants to get on the construction site to do a series of sketches  documenting the progress. Then again it is boiling hot outside with little hope of shade on the site.

I thought I would be sketching in the crowds of people rushing home at 5pm, but the streets were eerily vacant. Only the vehicular traffic left the impression that Downtown was bustling. A bus driver stopped next to me and the doors opened with a hiss. I was about to explain that I wasn’t waiting for a bus, but she said, “I just wanted to see the sketch with the color, I saw you when you started the sketch.” I held up the sketch so she could see and she gave me a thumbs up. One fellow wearing a tie stopped to see what I was doing. He said, “That’s my building!” Apparently he must be the architect. A lightening flash blinked brightly on the horizon. The rain held off long enough so I could get back to my car. Then it poured.

Community Open House

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On the day after the groundbreaking at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, I returned to the tent set up on Magnolia Street. The road’s yellow center dividing lines ran down the length of the tent. There was no huge crowd this time around. People lounged on the couches enjoying the free entertainment. Heather Alexander one of the owners of the Winter Park Playhouse introduced featured players from her theater. She joined three other women dressed in stylish 60’s mini skirts. They sang a hilarious medley of James Bond theme songs using their voices to mimic the flashy trumpet blasts.

The sparse audience was once again shown a flashy computer animated fly through of the proposed performing arts center. Stiff limbed computer generated zombies wandered the halls and sat stiff and erect in the theater seats. Superimposed shots of the Lion King being performed on Broadway in NYC made it seem like Orlando could become a cultural mecca overnight, and shots of children being taught about the arts made it seem like there could be a creative, vibrant, inspiring school of the arts associated with the project.

A photographer was shooting photos of the acts on stage constantly and occasionally people wandered up to the velvet ropes to shoot video on their iPhones. My wife texted an urgent message so I walked over to her office building a few blocks away.

Groundbreaking Celebration

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A large tent was erected on the site for the groundbreaking celebration for the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts. Located across from City Hall, the tent’s entrance was right where Magnolia bumps into South Street. I was directed to the media check in table where Jordana Lipkin gave me my press lanyard. The tent was air conditioned, but it was so hot out that everyone was waving their programs to stay cool.

There were rows of white folding chairs, all of which had “Reserved” signs. I bumped into Mark Baratelli of TheDailyCity.com. We took photos of ourselves shoveling the dirt. His face popped up periodically on video monitors so I was hanging out with “the talent.” We joked about all the reserved seats. No one was sitting. It seemed that, like the Emperor’s new clothes, the event was so exclusive that no one would be allowed to park their butt. The first act on the stage was a string quartet from the Orlando Philharmonic which is ironic since the performance hall will not benefit the Orchestra since it isn’t an acoustically designed hall. It will only be good for traveling Broadway shows that use microphones.

The second act, “Sovereign Brass” also had performers from the Orchestra. I wondered if any local performer at the groundbreaking would ever benefit from the new stage. A little girl in a black dress watched the musicians mesmerized.

Andrea Canny joined Mark and I in our prime viewing spot. By now the tent was crowded full of several hundred people. Mayor Buddy Dyer started his speech with a quote from Michelangelo that I rather like…

“The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark.” He said that over 200 businesses have opened since the Amway Center opened. Many of them might be the bicycle driven handy cabs. He stressed that Arts and Culture are the soul of any city, and I couldn’t agree more. The tourism industry helped put the whole package together. I just hope they sprinkle enough pixie dust to somehow make the financial numbers work out. In three card Monti we eventually find the Ace of hearts if we bet enough money. Don’t we?

Davis Gaines sang “This is the Moment,” and for a moment, I believed. There was an orange band of sand in front of the stage. Several people walked on it and the orange crust broke showing the white sand beneath. We speculated that it might be some Tibetan sand art or perhaps it was an indication of the front wall of the new building. Our questions were answered when Buddy Dyer and city commissioners all lined up with shovels to break ground in the orange sand. Cannons fired sending streamers over the crowd and two tent panels were torn open showing huge bulldozers which fired up ready to work.

Firehouse Demolition Celebration

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A new firehouse has been built downtown and opened December 2nd 2009 . The Old fire Station 1, (455 South Orange Avenue) is being torn down to make way for the new Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts. This new arts Center will just be for The traveling Broadway shows that pass through town. The hall was not set up acoustically for the Orlando Philharmonic. It is possible that no local arts groups will benefit in any way from this new buildings construction.
In the Orlando Weekly I read that there was going to be a Demolition Celebration. I was very curious to see how destruction is celebrated. When I got to the site the first thing I saw was a huge orange flag, much like the flags you might see above a used car lot. Dr. Phillips Arts Center was emblazoned on the flag in white letters. It fluttered quietly in the gentle breeze while across the street creaking moaning and crashing stone and metal could be heard. The fire stations back wall had already been torn down and I could look right through the gutted empty shell. I decided to walk around the block to see the back side of the building where all the demolishing was taking place.
A fire hydrant supplied the water to a hose which was used to water down all the loose dust kicked up b the falling debris. A large green crane was doing all the work by knocking away part of the roof with the large shovel. Periodically a small wildcat would move crumpled metal and place it in a pile. Trees now sporting large X’s framed the scene almost like the mouth of a shark. City hall can be seen in the background. The trees will of course also find no home in the new performing centers plans and they will come down as well. The money to build the arts center still doesn’t exist. What will be left in this spot will be an empty barren lot surrounded by a fence. It could, and probably will stay that way for many years. I have a strange fascination with these empty lots, usually symbols of some developers folly.
I never did see any celebration. Out with the old, forget the new, we can’t afford it.