A festival where you can (musically) make a difference
Psst, how would you like to get in on the ground floor of some brand-spanking-new shows? Maybe you’ve always wanted to influence the future of theater?
Here’s your chance: The fourth Florida Festival of New Musicals comes to Winter Park Playhouse June 24-27. It’s the only showcase of its kind in the Southeast, as six never-before-produced works are given a chance to be heard in front of an audience — that’s where you come in.
The first act of each work is performed concert-style without sets or elaborate staging. That’s followed by a chance to give feedback to the playwright and creative team: What you thought worked, what you thought didn’t. Your opinion will help the creators further shape and develop the show.
How cool is that? By the time I give my opinion of a show in the newspaper, it’s generally too late to make changes. But your thoughts could be incorporated into the final version of these musicals.
Also — in case you have ever been scarred by an unjuried fest (like the Orlando Fringe Festival) — keep in mind that these shows already have been vetted; they were picked for the new-musical festival because the judges believe they have what it takes to be successful.
Here’s a look at the six shows; each will be performed multiple times over the four days. If they sound vaguely familiar, it’s because I wrote about them in 2020 — when we
were originally scheduled to see them (before COVID-19 made other plans).
“The Golden Door” by Michelle Van Doeren, Scott Anderson and Andrew Swensen of Pittsburgh: In a story of hope and courage in the face of injustice, an Arab-American girl reads a diary detailing five young people’s journey from Europe to Ellis Island in 1903.
“The Lost Girl” by Ben Bonnema and Arianna Rose of Miami Beach: Set in 1909 London against the backdrop of the suffragette movement, “The Lost Girl” is a feminist work about having adventures at any age.
“Love, Always” by Bill Connington and Michael Cooper of New York City: Two actors play 22 roles in this romance that journeys through 100 years — backward.
“Tangled Webbs” by Gary Brumburgh and Ron Creager of Gallatin, Tenn.: This lighthearted show spoofs daytime soaps with a story of a virtuous family in a conservative town during TV’s 1960s heyday.
“What Have They Done with Lolana Lamour?” by Bryan Leys and Mary Feinsinger of New York City: A screwball story of con women, gangsters,
scoundrels, romantics and a frozen corpse, who all meet in a mansion owned by a Hollywood legend.
“Zack Hill and The Rocket Blaster Man Adventure” by Werner Treischman and Thomas Tierney of New York City: A 9-year-old boy learns what home is while trying to save his mom’s boardinghouse, full of eccentric characters. The show is based on the comic strip “Zack Hill,” by John Deering and John Newcombe.
For in-person viewing, tickets are $10 per show or $50 for all six. The Florida Festival of New Musicals also will be recorded and available to watch online through a $50 six-show package. Tickets for online viewing must be purchased by June 30; private links and passwords will be emailed to patrons at 11 a.m. July 16 and be valid through July 19.
For more information, go to winterparkplayhouse. org or call 407-645-0145.
Find me on Twitter @ matt_on_arts or email me at mpalm@orlandosentinel.com. Want more theater and arts news and reviews? Go to orlandosentinel.com/ arts. For more fun things, follow @fun.things.orlando on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.