Little Shop of Horrors is produced and directed by Scott A. Cook, the artistic producer at TheatreWorks Florida. Cook has developed show designs and concepts for companies such as Universal Studios Florida and the Walt Disney World Company, and won numerous producer’s honors including the Pierrots Award, Best Musical for Cats at Theatre Winter Haven in 2006.

Cook says new costume and set designs, vocal arrangements, fresh choreography and an enhanced Audrey II puppet are just a few of the elements different about this show.

“The community has been buzzing since we announced the show at the beginning of this year,” said Cook. “I create the world as a sincere, honest and realistic environment and challenge the actors to portray their roles from the heart inside this strange and bizarre place. I anticipate an incredible theatrical journey for all who will step inside the world of Little Shop of Horrors.”

Kevin Cole performs as the down-and-out florist Seymour, Candace Neal co-stars as the attractive Audrey, and Jamaal Solomon as the voice of the oversized plant Audrey II. Andrew Johnson puppeteers Audrey II, Frank Siano performs as Mr. Mushnik, and Casey Sweeney as Orin Scrivello, DDS. The singing urchins are played by Katrina Johnson, Desiree Perez, and Caroline Drage. This will be the first time for all of the actors to perform on the Garden Theatre stage apart from Kevin Cole, who performed in The Sound of Music last season. Tim Pappas serves as musical director, having done so for The Sound of Music and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat in previous seasons at the Garden Theatre.

We’re offereing two free-of-charge preview acts of Little Shop of Horrors during MusicFest Weekend at 2:30pm and 3pm on Saturday, October 8. Patrons may take a photo with the larger-than-life Audrey II plant following the 3pm performance.

“Patrons are especially excited about this season,” said Alauna McMillen, general manager of the Garden Theatre. “By launching our season with such a high-energy musical, we hope to harness that energy and carry it throughout the whole year.”

Little Shop of Horrors kicks off our fourth full theatre season, which will conclude in May 2012 with our self-produced musical The Music Man.

See more Little Shop pics here!

gardentheatre.org

Little Shop of Horrors, produced by TheatreWorks Florida: 

Candace Neal as Audrey

Kevin Cole as Seymour

Frank Siano as Mr. Mushnik

Casey Sweeney as the Orin Scrivello, DDS 

 Jamaal Solomon as the voice of Audrey 2

Andrew Johnson as Audrey 2′s puppeteer

CK Anderson as Buddy Layman

The Diviners, produced by Beth Marshall Presents:

Norma Henshaw………Marty Stonerock

Basil Bennett………….Mike Lane

Luella Bennett……….. Jamie Middleton

Goldie Short…………..Ava Tunstall

Melvin Wilder…………Andy Haynes

Dewey Maples………..Daniel Crosby

Be sure to check out TheatreWorksFL’s Facebook page for Little Shop of Horrors updates, and Beth Marshall Presents Facebook page for The Diviners happenings!

The blog author Rick enjoys discovering historic treasured homes, buildings and towns all across Florida.

Would you guess he’d stumble upon the growing yet quaint historic city of Winter Garden just outside of bustling Orlando? Turns out he wrote about his visit in 2009. Here’s an excerpt of his story entitled Good Vibes in Winter Garden:

“This is the perfect place to escape for the winter…The crown jewel of the downtown is the recently opened Garden Theater…During my visit this weekend, I felt a vitality and energy in the little community.”

As I read his words,  it was reassuring to know the unassuming town of Winter Garden can be found among the many other places Rick and other travelers seek. We truly are a city blended with old and new. We are a reminder that as growing cities are being developed, they must hold on to their history. Because once those buildings are gone, all that’s left are stories and photos.

Rick, who continues to write regularly, concluded by promising, “Good job Winter Garden! We’ll be back.”

We look forward to it, Rick. And when you return, Winter Garden will be just as inviting as ever. Guaranteed.

See the rest of Rick’s story here. Also keep up-to-date with his Facebook page, Old Florida.

By Matt

She is one of only a handful to have experienced the behind-the-scenes of classic Hollywood films. She witnessed what really took place on the sets of countless films in the 50s and 60s.

She just so happens to be one of Central Florida’s very own, Lorraine Wood.

In 1949, Lorraine began her Hollywood career in the animation department at Columbia Pictures, then she explored the industry with other companies. She eventually ended up Monogram Pictures, which produced up to two to three movies a week in its heyday. There Lorraine served as the secretary to the production supervisor Allen Wood, and before long the two married.
Monogram Pictures eventually turned over the management to the Mirisch Brothers. It was then that Lorraine consistently stayed on film sets with Allen and the production crews.

For nearly 30 years, Lorraine joined her husband as he supervised the production of over 160 classics including The Great Escape, The Magnificent Seven, and The Music Man.

Lorraine was on the set of the musical West Side Story for its filming in New York City circa 1960.
Lorraine will revisit those memories when she joins Winter Garden to kick off the Garden Theatre’s screening of West Side Story on July 1.

Last summer, Lorraine introduced the Garden’s showing of Some Like It Hot by answering questions from the audience on what it was like to be on that very film set. Through her reflective responses, the audience saw how charming her personality is.

It’s fascinating to imagine what she saw, heard and was thinking during these unique moments in American cinematic history. On July 1, Winter Garden will briefly have the opportunity to find out what took place on the set of West Side Story.

All Summer Movies are general admission for only $5. For more information on the Garden Theatre Summer Movie Series, contact the Box Office at 407-877-GRDN (4736) or visit www.gardentheatre.org.

As patrons exit the Garden Theatre following the first three weekends of The Sound of Music, among the many comments offered have included, “I loved how you made it look like a church” or “the Von Trapp mansion was absolutely beautiful.” While over the past few months the actors, actresses, dancers, and musicians have been busy rehearsing, and members of the production team have been busy designing, focusing, painting and creating the backdrop that transports patrons at the Garden Theatre to the hills of 1930s Austria.

Work on the production began with conceptual drawings and plans last September. But the actual construction, hanging of lighting, and final details began in January. Technical Director Benjamin Lembree explained, “We started construction back in January because we had an enormous vision to bring to life on the stage. Budgets needed to be created, revisions made, and plans discussed and approved before the first piece of wood was cut or first lamp installed.”

One may wonder where some of the inspiration came from or why certain technical artistic decisions were made for this wonderful production. I had the pleasure of designing the lighting for the show. When director Claud Smith III and I met, we read through the script and talked through details of the show. Others around us in the Sweet Traditions Bakery may have thought we might have been planning a wedding. We discussed the various colors of each of the characters, what type of worlds they live in, what costumes they might be wearing.

In the end, our conclusions surprisingly matched: The world of Captain Von Trapp being one of cold and sharpness, and Maria’s as one of warmth, full of leaves and earth tones. Such colors were taken into consideration in the production, as patrons will see early on in the show the Captain’s world lacking color, almost as if a rainy day constantly was occurring at the villa. Yet as the show progresses, the mansion and the entire stage warm, culminating with sunrise as the family journeys away from the new Nazi regime in Austria.

Great care was taken to immerse the audience into the world created by Rogers and Hammerstein, including such effects as the gothic cathedral look as patrons walk into the theatre, the star-lit ceiling overhead during the night scenes of the performance, or even the illumination of the audience as they sing along to “Edelweiss” during Act II.

If one is looking for a pleasant evening or a warm Sunday afternoon, they can definitely find it with the family friendly timeless classic, The Sound of Music, continuing through May 29 at the Garden Theatre.

The Sound of Music runs April 22-May 29 at the Garden Theatre. Tickets are $26 for adults or $22 for students and seniors. For more information, call the Garden Theatre Box Office at 407-877-4736 or visit gardentheatre.org.

It was like any other typical night in downtown Winter Garden. The West Orange Trail had emptied of bikers and the stores on Plant Street were closing up for the day. But as quiet as it was outside the Garden Theatre, you’d never expect what was going on inside.

A mass of people took up the first several rows of the theatre as Director Claud Smith III explained his vision for the show. Dozens of actors were studying their scripts. Stage managers scribbled cautiously on their notes. The music director looked over song cues. The von Trapp kids vocalized their parts. Everyone was gearing up for the Garden Theatre’s production of The Sound of Music.

Music director Tim Pappas, who was part of the Garden Theatre’s 2010 production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, noted that among the bustle in practices, there are times when everything works together like a science. “As we progress through rehearsals, I keep witnessing little epiphanies. It’s like putting a bunch of puzzle pieces together and seeing something really impressive.”

The self-produced, full-length production is a complete community effort. At showtime, a cast and crew of nearly 100 will be present. But there are 200 others who dedicated time to make the musical happen. As Stage Manager Christine Kindred said, “It takes hard work, countless hours and a lot of dedication and commitment from everyone to make a show of this magnitude run smoothly.”

Full rehearsals may have kicked off mid-March, but the set’s complex blueprints were being drawn up last year. Travel just a mile down the road from the theater and you’ll run into a very peculiar building, one with an oversized stuffed alligator on the roof. Nicknamed “the depot” by some, it was once used a train station. Now a warehouse, it was lent to the Garden Theatre as a build site for constructing the musical’s large set pieces.

Production Manager Paul Bedford wanted to extend his appreciation to the many who have contributed too, including Florida Metal Craft Inc. and Roundtable Productions. “If it wasn’t for their generous donations, we couldn’t have possibly done this show.”

The Sound of Music will star Meggin Stailey as the sweet-yet-feisty governess Maria. Stailey has been in various productions at Garden Theatre in the past, most recently the silent show Shhhh! But as the lead role, Stailey will showcase her singing ability.

Tim Rerucha is Captain von Trapp, and Carrie Pollack Prieto will play Mother Abbess. The production is sponsored by CenturyLink.

More than 200 children and teenagers auditioned for roles, and the Garden Theatre had to eventually choose just 15. Among them are Jason Zavitz, Mackendrick Zavitz, Haylee Gooch and Sydney Adams-Farley, who return after having performed in A Christmas Carol earlier in the season.

The Sound of Music runs April 22-May 29 at the Garden Theatre. Tickets are $26 for adults or $22 for students and seniors. For more information, call the Garden Theatre Box Office at 407-877-4736 or visit gardentheatre.org.

Arles Struvie and Thurston Wheelis are coming to Winter Garden. You see, these two are the disc jockeys for the local radio station in Tuna, the third smallest town in Texas. Now, no one particularly listens to their station, but that doesn’t dampen the pair’s personalities that seem to shine through those dust-laden airwaves.

Arles Struvie (left) and Thurston Wheelis, disc jockeys from Tuna, Texas, radio station OKKK, take a tour of downtown Winter Garden. The 2 tourists – really Tyler Cravens and Jay Hopkins, respectively – portray these and other residents of the Texas town in the upcoming ‘Greater Tuna’ on the Garden Theatre stage.

Someone once asked them what the export of Tuna was. Without missing a beat, the two quipped in unison, “dirt.” After listening to the two’s banter, chances are you can’t look them in the face without laughing. But these two would gladly take it as a compliment.

Jay Hopkins and Tyler Cravens co-star in Greater Tuna playing March 18 through April 2 at the Garden Theatre. The two have remained close friends since meeting at Universal’s Horror Makeup Show in 2005. The duo also appeared together in Noises Off! at the Garden Theatre in late 2010.

The pair quickly change in and out of the 20 unique characters throughout the show. They play all the citizens of Tuna from grown men and women to kids — and even an oversized dog. Diana Hopkins, Jester Theater Company’s managing director and Jay Hopkins’ wife, said: “As soon as they put on the outfits, I don’t know them by Tyler and Jay anymore, but by Arles and Thurston. Every one of their characters has their own personality and is almost like another person I know.”

Only in a show like Greater Tuna would the line “yip, yip, yip” repeated over and over by a man dressed as an oversized canine appear ordinary to the audience. As Cravens put it: “Versatility is what it’s all about. We’re character actors. We just add our own ways to the show.”

Cravens is the owner of the award-winning restaurant Thai Blossom in downtown Winter Garden. Jay Hopkins is the artistic director of Jester Theater Company and has produced several comedies since the reopening of the Garden Theatre in 2008.

When taken aside, the two are quick to speak highly of the other.

“Tyler is a perfectionist who wants the end product to be the highest quality possible. He’s talented, and, most importantly, he’s determined,” said Jay Hopkins, who Cravens considers as “one of the most sincere, honest people who uses his talent and abilities to make other people smile.”

Arles Struvie and Thurston Wheelis — and the dozens of other members of Tuna, Texas, are ready to put on a show for Central Florida. They once said it best and in perfect unison: “It’s time to bring Tuna to the Garden.”

Greater Tuna runs March 18-April 2 at the Garden Theatre. Tickets are $24 for adults or $22 for students and seniors. For more information, call the Garden Theatre Box Office at 407-877-4736 or visit gardentheatre.org.

The DiamondRocks! Legendary Tribute Concert, coming to the Garden Theatre in downtown Winter Garden, celebrates Neil Diamond’s best music over more than four decades. With a 13-piece live performance band, lead vocals by Donn Lamkin and musical direction of Charlie St. Cyr-Paul, DiamondRocks! brings to life the songs that bridge generations for fans at any age.

Lamkin and his band perform arrangements of classic songs including “America,” “Sweet Caroline” and “Cracklin’ Rosie” and current Diamond gems like “Pretty Amazing Grace” and “Man of God.”

Donn Lamkin will perform Neil Diamond’s best songs March 12 at the Garden Theatre.

Diamond is being inducted into the Rock and Roll hall of fame March 14 and is currently on a world tour in New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and Ireland.

His music, however, will be in Winter Garden on March 12 at 8 p.m. when DiamondRocks! hits the stage.

In his adolescent years, Lamkin heard an album that would affect his life forever. It was Diamond’s live concert recorded at the Greek Theater in Los Angeles called Hot August Night, his most popular record.

Lamkin said: “I must have played that album a thousand, maybe two thousand, times. I wore the needle out on the record player, and who can say that today with our digital media? After hearing that record I was hooked. I bought every Neil Diamond release to this day. I’ve seen him perform in concert at least 20 times, maybe more. He has an unmistakable relationship with his music and the audience.

Three years ago, DiamondRocks! launched its first concert performance and has since built quite a following of dedicated Diamond fans.

“I’m very proud of this band,” Lamkin said. “These are the best players of professional musicians. I am fortunate to have them playing and rockin’ DiamondRocks!”

This year, with collaboration of its management, iAM Entertainment Group, DiamondRocks! has announced its first major U.S. and Canadian tour.

Lamkin is in his 22nd year as an Equity actor for Walt Disney World Entertainment performing various shows throughout its theme parks. He was in the cast of Broadway’s The Tale of Two Cities, with musical concert performances filmed in London for PBS stations in the U.S.

Most recently he was in Mean Girls 2 on ABC Family as Sydney Hanover, a wealthy infomercial king. He also appeared in the feature film The Men Who Stare at Goats.

Tickets to Lamkin’s show are $12 in advance and $15 at the door and can be purchased by calling 407-877-4736 or online at www.gardentheatre.org.

You could say they’re the best at not saying a word.  Their exaggerated expressions and antics make up in volumes. The Winter Park-based PB&J Theatre Factory will return to the Garden Theatre with their witty mystery-comedy Shhhh!, PB&J’s fourth original work since bringing Sport, Snack and Sleigh to Winter Garden in past seasons.

Two thieves find themselves in a pickle when they hide in a seemingly abandoned hotel.  When they realize the hotel indeed has occupancy, the crooks must pose as innkeepers to keep their identities concealed.

From February 11-13, the performances of Shhhh! will be celebrated as part of ArtsFest 2011, an annual festival organized by United Arts of Central Florida. On February 14, a special Valentine’s Day showing will take place, offering lovebirds in the audience a unique – and, of course, mysterious – romantic experience.

The talent on stage will include Patrick Braillard, Michele Feren, Mark Koenig, Melissa Mason, Josh Siniscalco, Todd Zimmerman and Meggin Stailey. Stailey performed in Noises Off at the Garden Theatre in October 2010.

PB&J has created a niche in Central Florida that attracts patrons of every age, from the youngest kids to their great-grandparents. Their mission: to engage and inspire audiences of all ages through the use of rich, innovative, and simple storytelling.

“We’ve found a way to make our shows something everyone can relate to,” said Mark Koenig of PB&J. “We love to feed off the audience during the performance.  When we see children and adults enjoying our performance, we know we’ve accomplished our goal.”

The PB&J Theatre Factory has some peculiar traits: aside from using only side-splittingly exaggerated facial expressions to replace any and all dialogue, show titles always begin with an “s” and total five letters, and much of their plots are kept top secret. Limiting what PB&J gives away has only moistened the palates of their followers and curious patrons alike.

“Especially with Shhhh!, we like to keeping everyone guessing as to what to expect,” said ­­Brandon Roberts, co-writer and director of the wordless farce. “We always want our audience to be surprised. That’s really the joy that we get from creating all of our shows.”

“We are continuously impressed by PB&J’s productions,” said Alauna McMillen, general manager of the Garden Theatre. “It’s an exciting opportunity for the Winter Garden community to be the first to see this original show.”

Anyone who has been on a cruise aboard the Disney Magic has probably heard his voice before.  Others might have stories and fond memories of his unique sound at the Polynesian Resort’s Papeete Bay Verandah restaurant back in the 70s.

But John Charles’ career began when he was just 10 years old when he bought his first guitar from the freight damage sale at a Sears & Roebuck.  He rehearsed for a year and made his musical debut at the age of 11 at a party.  When someone yelled out “Hey – if you’re so good, why don’t you play some Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass?”  John strummed his guitar and, with his lips pursed, “played” the trumpet melody and sang the vocal accompaniment.

A native of California, Charles has lived in Orlando since 1966 and started working for Disney before the resort even opened.  He sang in the 1200-voice choir that performed on the steps of Cinderella Castle during grand opening of Walt Disney World Resort in 1971.  Because of his unique talent, Disney Imagineers tagged him to write and perform themed motivational songs for each Walt Disney World Resort opening, as well as in Europe.  He’s been performing on the Disney Magic cruise ship ever since it went out to sea.  John has also performed across the country for many Fortune 500 companies for corporate events.

Along with most of his generation, John was heavily influenced by The Beatles.  He saw them live in 1964 when they performed in the United States, and he carried his ticket stub in his wallet for over 20 years.  Now he’s single-handedly performing many of their greatest hits—a feat even the Fab Four themselves would have applauded.

Every show is different – John’s quick wit lends itself to a casual, almost improvisational-style concert.    “No two shows are the same”, says John.  “I know how I’m going to start and I know how I’m going to finish.  The rest is driven by the audience.”  By allowing his audience to become part of his show, John is able to create a unique experience that is tailored specifically for that night’s audience.

Ray Fournier, Garden Theatre board member and Disney Entertainment producer was the one who suggested bringing John Charles to the Garden Theatre. “John Charles has been entertaining in Central Florida and around the world for over 30 years,” said Fournier. ”We are thrilled to have his musical talents grace our stage.  In addition to his music, John has always been able to capture the attention of his audience through his stories with laughter and a whole lot of fun!  I’m excited to hear John’s tribute to The Beatles.”